Samsung's folding phone breaks for reviewers • Hacker News Board

Re: Samsung's folding phone breaks for reviewers

#101

Post by magic_beans » Thu, Apr 18, 2019, 5:51 PM UTC

euler_ wrote: post #62

onion2k wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most cases seem to be due to users mistakenly removing the permanent screen protection layer. Let's not push blame on to the user. If the screen protection is so vital that the screen will fail within a day without it, then the problem is that the screen protection is removable and to easy to remove.

The screen protector is an integral part of the screen. It's not that if fails later on without it, trying to remove it destroys the screen. It's like pulling the contacts out of a port and complaining that the phone won't charge.

The screen protector should not be removable then.

Re: Samsung's folding phone breaks for reviewers

#102

Post by pbhjpbhj » Thu, Apr 18, 2019, 5:52 PM UTC

benj111 wrote: post #72

oliwarner wrote: post #53

There are a few ways of looking at this. Most of the more engineery-types are pointing out the inevitability of failure, the challenges trying to find a good enough substrate to mount a touchscreen stack on, and trying to protect an exposed external hinge from impact, and all that material engineering science stuff that's really clever... But well besides the point. I can't even rationalise why anybody wants a foldin…

"There's nothing left to do. Phones are as dead as the PC." My toilet has a cistern, u bend, and all the features of a toilet of 100 years ago. Never the less toilets are far from dead. What you are describing is a mature product, not a dead product.

My toilet is dramatically different, better ceramic and less of it, lighter. It's a close-coupled cistern doing away with some piping. It's dual flush, uses much less water; it even has a redesigned ball-cock (float shut-off valve). It has a soft-close removeable seat/lid.

It's actually surprising the amount of new tech in a regular toilet - even compared to 20 years ago. And that's not a complex automated toilet, just a standard UK crapper.

Re: Samsung's folding phone breaks for reviewers

#103

Post by magic_beans » Thu, Apr 18, 2019, 5:53 PM UTC

matt4077 wrote: post #86

chrischen wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This may be a case of cultural differences... a lot of Asian people like to leave those plastic protectors on!

I remember several US households with plastic cover over their couches. They didn’t even remove them for special occasions. It always struck me as extremely strange to effectively ruin a product only to be able to throw it away in somewhat better condition.

My grandmother did this, which always struck me as insane. Because it IS insane.

Re: Samsung's folding phone breaks for reviewers

#104

Post by neogodless » Thu, Apr 18, 2019, 5:53 PM UTC

linsomniac wrote: post #88

Noteworthy: 2 of the 3 reviewers I read about broke the screens by taking off the "screen protector" the phone shipped with. It wasn't a screen protector, it was part of the screen.

I cannot ascertain from your comment if you have an opinion on this, but my opinion is that this is a major design flaw (even if it didn't result in immediately broken screens).

Re: Samsung's folding phone breaks for reviewers

#105

Post by bluGill » Thu, Apr 18, 2019, 5:55 PM UTC

dahdum wrote: post #66

sandworm101 wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> They've made every size of phone between a stamp and a tablet. There's nothing left to do. Really? My dream phone doesn't exist yet. I want a phone that is reliable, that lasts more than a few days on a single charge. I want one with two USB connections. I want one with a proper headphone jack, and a speaker that is loud enough to hear properly while driving (without a mount). For these features I am willing to tr…

I'm sure you've realized your dream phone will never exist, it sounds more like an older ultrabook than a phone. What's the reason for a USB port, much less two of them? Every new vehicle the past few years has bluetooth, so why a loud speaker?

I have yet to see a bicycle with bluetooth. (electric bike is not the same thing). My car doesn't have bluetooth - it is only 13 years/250000 miles out so it has plenty of life left (most people replace their cars long before they are worn out, I drive mine into the ground). I haven't seen a leaf rake with bluetooth either, and most lawn mowers still don't have it either.

I'm well aware that the dream phone may never exist. That doesn't mean I don't want it.

Re: Samsung's folding phone breaks for reviewers

#106

Post by rchaud » Thu, Apr 18, 2019, 5:56 PM UTC

no1youknowz wrote: post #40

I'm really excited to see where foldable phones go. I know it's the first version, but looking at unbox therapy and their review. I kept on seeing the fold. [0] If you look at reviews of the Huawei Mate X like this one [1]. Sure it's a preview version and a bit shiny, but looks much better than what Samsung has released. IMHO Huawei has built a better foldable phone. Seems samsung has rushed this out to be the first…

I think Huawei's offering is a lot further along, purely on the basis that they let random Youtube bloggers play with the phone uninterrupted and post videos about it, with really close looks at the "seamlessness" of the screen at the bend point.

Samsung on the other hand limited their YT exposure to demos where Samsung staff handled the phone.

Re: Samsung's folding phone breaks for reviewers

#107

Post by izzydata » Thu, Apr 18, 2019, 5:57 PM UTC

oliwarner wrote: post #53

There are a few ways of looking at this. Most of the more engineery-types are pointing out the inevitability of failure, the challenges trying to find a good enough substrate to mount a touchscreen stack on, and trying to protect an exposed external hinge from impact, and all that material engineering science stuff that's really clever... But well besides the point. I can't even rationalise why anybody wants a foldin…

I still use my 7" tablet for watching and reading stuff and my 5" phone for phone stuff. The thought of having 1 device instead of 2 is pretty nice. We don't appear to be at that point yet, but if it worked I would use it.

Re: Samsung's folding phone breaks for reviewers

#108

Post by rchaud » Thu, Apr 18, 2019, 5:58 PM UTC

solarkraft wrote: post #56

no1youknowz wrote: post #40

I'm really excited to see where foldable phones go. I know it's the first version, but looking at unbox therapy and their review. I kept on seeing the fold. [0] If you look at reviews of the Huawei Mate X like this one [1]. Sure it's a preview version and a bit shiny, but looks much better than what Samsung has released. IMHO Huawei has built a better foldable phone. Seems samsung has rushed this out to be the first…

Samsung might have the more impressive technology (well, we thought that before this), but Huawei seems to have thought about the concept a bit more (even though the technology is easier). It just makes so much more sense to fold to the outside.

The Mate X looks like a premium product when folded and unfolded. Galaxy Fold looks good unfolded, but when you fold it, the front looks like a Raspberry Pi homebrew project.

Re: Samsung's folding phone breaks for reviewers

#109

Post by pbhjpbhj » Thu, Apr 18, 2019, 6:07 PM UTC

consp wrote: post #4

While not directly comparable, the flexible flat cables in flip phones took years to be 'good' enough to last the phone's lifetime and those moved as much as this thing is going to. This might just be a cause of early production models and early adopter problems and might work out later. Note: the flex cables are not bad per se as they are also used in cubesats for instance.

Flex cable used for the mainboard-to-screen connection in Nintendo's DS was a major failure point. It was very tricky to replace (for me); but that did make for many cheap devices that just needed a small repair.

Re: Samsung's folding phone breaks for reviewers

#110

Post by dmix » Thu, Apr 18, 2019, 6:11 PM UTC

neogodless wrote: post #100

oliwarner wrote: post #53

There are a few ways of looking at this. Most of the more engineery-types are pointing out the inevitability of failure, the challenges trying to find a good enough substrate to mount a touchscreen stack on, and trying to protect an exposed external hinge from impact, and all that material engineering science stuff that's really clever... But well besides the point. I can't even rationalise why anybody wants a foldin…

Uh... removable batteries?! I jest, but my best hope for a stagnant market is competition on merits that we really want, and less so for the whizz-bang features that attract attention without improving our lives. I've got a used Nexus 6P with a dying battery. I don't know of any improvements in newer phones I need (except security updates!) but I'm torn whether I want to learn how to replace the battery and risk dama…

Why did batteries stop being replaceable again?

I'm guessing it makes the design of the phone circuitry easier? You don't have to make the case removable?

The idea that it forces you to buy a new phone never seemed like a good reason to me.