The biggest obstacle to the general use of phones with this new design is their high price. Samsung’s first foldable phone launched in 2019 for $ 1,980. Last year’s Z Flip cost $ 1,380, and Microsoft’s Surface Duo sold for $ 1,400. However, according to industry analyst Patrick Moorhead, founder and president of Moor Insights & Strategy, this technology will become a little more accessible this year.
“There’s a price issue. I see it declining this year,” Moorhead said. “If a penetration price can be done to get the entry level at $ 1,000, it will increase a significant amount.” Moorhead also expects to see more of these foldable designs at the Mobile World Congress in June. (MWC usually takes place in Barcelona at the end of February, but the show was postponed until June due to the Covid-19 pandemic.)
Another obstacle is reliability. Most high-end single-screen phones these days have durable glass that protects the screen, along with an IP68 waterproofness that protects it from accidentally underwater. Still, the 2019 Galaxy Fold was paralyzed after dust stains penetrated the hinge of the folding phone, causing a delayed launch and forcing Samsung to adjust the hinge mechanism. It was an embarrassment of stumbling, but things got far within a year.
“When Lenovo came out with the Yoga, it took years before the industry got better at things like hinges,” says Moorhead. “We even saw changes with Samsung every year when the second version of the Fold used a brush mechanism, while the previous version used a traditional hinge. It may not seem like a big deal, but in the world of mechanical engineering it is enormous. “
This brush mechanism wiped the inside of the hinge clean every time the phone was opened or closed, and it prevented debris from creeping into the internal components of the Fold 2. Moorhead expects the folding phones to show the same durability this year as we expected from rectangular plate designs. Streit affirms Moorhead’s sentiments, emphasizing that mechanical engineering is playing an increasing role in smartphone design. “The industry has not needed many moving parts in the last ten years,” he says. “The rollable must be a very good mechanical experience that keeps the dirt out.”
TCL says it plans to launch a foldable or rollable phone in 2021, and LG has confirmed to Nikkei that the LG Rollable will be on sale this year. None of this is to say that the traditional single-screen phone experience will soon disappear. After all, Streit notes that people still buy browsing phones today. He also says that these new display technologies are a long-term strategy for TCL.
Let the good times roll
LG’s rolling phone design was briefly teased during its CES press conference. We expect to hear more about it later this year.
Video: LGWe can expect that the first wave devices with these new rolling screens will not try to include too many new features. Otherwise, the phone manufacturers run the risk of overwhelming consumers who are used to traditional smartphone designs.