Folding Phones - Why?

As of late, we've heard lots of talk about folding devices. Specifically folding phones and tablets (folding computers are nothing new, they're called laptops). At the head of this new category of devices is Samsung and competitors seem to be keeping a close eye on them.

In 2013, Samsung unveiled their first bendable OLED. We then saw this bendable OLED in use on the Samsung S6 Edge for the very first time and since then, Samsung has been including them on the edges of their flagship phones' screens. However it wasn't until 2019 that Samsung first unveiled it's bendable screen in the form of a folding phone, the Galaxy Fold. The folding phone had always been a goal of Samsung's since they first showed the world their technology and they were finally able to overcome the many limitations of making a folding phone. But one question still persists. What for? Is it really worth the extra research to make a folding phone?

Source: CNET

Although the market for folding phones still is nowhere near as big as that of the traditional smartphone, there is still room for them to catch on. The two main reasons many avoid buying foldable phones is due to high prices paired with relatively new technology. New advancements are always met with skepticism, and folding phones are no exception. How well will these phones hold up? How will it fair against the elements? If dust and water are able to get into the phone, this could cause major problems to the phone. Another issue with folding phones are their plastic screens. Glass can be bent, but it can't be bent multiple times. For this reason, a folding phone must make use of plastic screens, which are prone to scratching and are nowhere near as comfortable to use as a smooth glass panel.

Another question I see often is "Who even needs a folding phone?. The answer is quite simple, people who prefer larger screens. Anyone who enjoys watching media on their phones know how much nicer a large screen is, and the fact that it can be folded away and used as a normal phone when a large screen isn't needed is a large plus. Rest assured, traditional smartphones aren't going anywhere. At least not until folding smartphones become perfect. However once the folding technology catches up, who's to say people would even want a traditional smartphone anymore.