Geekazine

Geekazine


Foldable Phones: 5 Tech Things You Should Know Before Getting One

October 10, 2019

Welcome to the 5 tech things you should know. This is a reboot to a show I did years ago. We’ve revamped the show for a more evergreen feel, but I hope this will be a great way for you to understand what’s happening in Technology.

We’ll also be running a contest every week. This week, we’re giving away a $50 Amazon card to one lucky viewer! More information later in the show!

The foldable era is here, baby! In the next month or two, you’ll see foldable devices galore. I’ve already reported about the Samsung Fold, which is out now. But other foldable devices are coming just as fast.

We’ll show you how to navigate through fact and fiction so you can get the best device possible. So with that said, let’s get to your five tech things!

How the device folds

There will be two types of foldables – single screen, and dual screen fold. Microsoft, for example, is launching the Surface Duo, more than just a phone, it’s a 2 screen booklet that is simply a mini-PC for your note-taking, game-playing, web-surfing, Insta-gramming, and a whole bunch more need.

The Microsoft Surface Duo is 2- 5.6 inch screens that fold out like any laptop would. You can run in full tablet, laptop style, tent-style, or phone style.

The dual screens mean there’s a break in-between. These tablets won’t be able to do continuous screen, because the break might cause issues in touch, and slide.

For example, if you want to play Candy Crush, the divider could cause issues in trying to get that “Candy-licious” screen on one try.

The Samsung Galaxy Fold is out, and in this case, it’s a continuous screen. The fold is a $2k phone with an outer screen when closed, and the tablet mode screen.

Check out my review of the Galaxy Fold

Since the screen is continuous, you’ll see a “rib” in the middle. This is by design, so the screen has some leeway, and won’t break, or cause dead pixel areas.

Samsung has run tests to make sure the screen will last at least 3 years worth of folding.

The other part is that hinge on the outer side. It make the phone thicker, but more durable if you decide you want to fold it the other way.

Don’t fold it the other way…

Glass vs. Plastic

In order for the continuous screen to fold, it cannot be made of glass. We haven’t found that technology, yet.

In the Samsung case, the outer screen is glass. Huawei Mate is another continuous fold screen. These screens will most likely have a special scratch resistant coating, but it won’t be as strong as a glass screen will.

That is why you might want to consider a screen that folds into itself, rather than outside. The Xiaomi, and Royal FlexPai are two examples.

Those are nice for a tent mode, but not nice if your keys share the same pocket as your phone.

Meanwhile, LG’s upcoming foldable will be dual screen, just like the Surface Duo. One screen can become a keyboard or joystick, and it’s possible we’ll see split-screen games and apps for these specific devices.

Welcome Back Motorola RAZR

Did you have a Motorola RAZR phone? Do you miss it? Aw. Memories…

Well,