Flip phones are the future, only one crucial thing is missing

Source: Hayato Huseman / Android Central

I think we are way beyond the point of labeling folding phones as a fad or a simple trend. Even though the form factor has only been around for less than two years, it’s clear that companies are pumping tons of money and doing research to make folding the next big thing in consumer technology. Just look at the differences between the original Galaxy Fold and the new Z Fold 2. In about a year, Samsung dramatically improved its hinge and display technology, making the Fold 2 much more attractive than its predecessor.

Tech publications and influencers have already started praising the Galaxy Z Fold 2, and that will likely continue once the full reviews are released. I don’t blame them one bit, because from what I can tell by looking at it from afar, Samsung has created the most promising foldable yet. It addresses the problems of the first model, improves on all the key specs, and maintains the same overall design that got people so excited in the first place.

However, as much as the Z Fold 2 has improved, it is still plagued with a problem that all folding phones will have to face for the foreseeable future: cost.

We can talk about the Fold 2’s 120Hz display and improved cameras as much as we want, but that means absolutely nothing when the vast majority of people can only dream of owning the thing. Samsung is asking $ 1,999 if you want the privilege of owning the Fold 2, which is way too much money for anyone who isn’t a big money tech enthusiast.

Foldable phones are breaking new ground, but all that innovation comes with huge price barriers.

I say this with a solid understanding that the Galaxy Z Fold 2 (and all folding phones, for that matter) is packed with cutting edge technology and is paving new paths that didn’t previously exist. These are uncharted waters for all companies venturing into the folding niche right now, and as they work on new designs, durability issues, and whatever else comes up in the development process, that ultimately results in more price tags. high than we are used to. seeing.

It’s obvious that Samsung is aware of this too, which is perfectly evident from the price of the Galaxy S20 Ultra and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, two phones that cost $ 1,400 and $ 1,300, respectively. When you compare the Galaxy Z Flip 5G alongside them, a phone that sells for $ 1,450, it doesn’t seem all that outrageous. However, the fact is, that’s almost six times more than the $ 250 Moto G Power your parents and grandparents will likely buy when it’s time to upgrade.

It may be silly to ask for foldable phones that are this affordable, and while they may never reach the Moto G tier price (at least not anytime soon), the fact is that we need substantially lower prices for the form factor to work. completely conventional. If you showed someone from ten years ago a Nokia 2.3, they would probably be surprised and think that it costs an exorbitant amount of money. Today the phone is available for just over a hundred dollars.

As time goes on, new technologies get cheaper, easier to produce, and reach a point where they can target different prices / costs. Traditional smartphones are a commodity in 2020, and ten years from now, we hope to see foldable phones reach that point too.

Even in the short time that folding phones have been around, it has been fascinating to see technology being used in different ways. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 effectively offers you a phone and a tablet in one device, which in turn comes at an incredibly high price. The foldable phone design found with the Galaxy Z Flip and Motorola RAZR doesn’t offer as much utility, but it does carry the idea of ​​a foldable phone at a considerably lower price point (though still very expensive).

Ultimately, that’s where the flip phones are right now. They’re fun and exciting to watch from a distance, but for the vast majority of consumers, they won’t be a legitimate purchasing consideration for many years. That’s something companies need to address and be aware of, because if no one buys these groundbreaking devices, all that hard work is wasted.