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Samsung's folding phone breaks for reviewers

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181–190 of 199 posts

Re: Samsung's folding phone breaks for reviewers

#181
post #66

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?

Bluetooth is not always an option. I often travel/work (military) where i must keep it in airplane mode. Wireless headphones also arent an option. 2 usb ports means when one snaps the phone isnt bricked.

Re: Samsung's folding phone breaks for reviewers

#182
post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

Bluetooth is not always an option. I often travel/work (military) where i must keep it in airplane mode. Wireless headphones also arent an option. 2 usb ports means when one snaps the phone isnt bricked.

You can definitely use bluetooth on airplane mode

Re: Samsung's folding phone breaks for reviewers

#183
post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I dispute that tablets are a superior user experience. They’re great for some things, but in general phones are better. Phones crush tablets in both sales and usage, and most people have a big phone rather than a small phone and a big tablet.

I would say phones crush tablets in sales because you can't put a tablet in your pocket. The folding phone changes this, and that's why its so interesting.

The first good folding phone might change that.

Re: Samsung's folding phone breaks for reviewers

#184
post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

”It just makes so much more sense to fold to the outside.” It may make less sense if the bended part of the screen isn’t as strong as conventional flat screens. There’s a bit of a catch-22 there: you either fold the screen to the inside to give it some more protection, or you fold it to the outside to have a screen on the outside and increase the bending radius. I don’t know enough of the technology to say what’s the…

Folding it out lets you use half of the screen and treat it as a normal (almost hand sized) phone for regular day to day stuff, and only unfold it when you really need those extra pixels. Protecting the screen from damage is an exercise left up to the reader.

In addition to being able to reuse the same screen and cameras for folded mode, you're folding the device flat, which means pressure will be distributed over a larger area, requiring a less sturdy hinge (and less space).

I only speculate, but I think since it's just vapor deposited material, OLED screens with solid backings are quite robust.

Re: Samsung's folding phone breaks for reviewers

#185
post #116
post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Phone batteries are replaceable. Just not directly by end-users (well, not most end-users). There are design tradeoffs to make the batteries user-replaceable. E.g., the batteries are going to need a casing and socket that make them OK for users to handle and replace. The phone's going to need additional casing pieces, latches, and seals, etc. The phone's going to be a little bigger, heavier and more expensive. Maybe…

Replacing dead batteries is different than the UX of being able to swap empty batteries with fully charged ones so your phone is never left charging on a charger for hours, only one of multiple batteries are. Plus when travelling or away from the charger you could carry multiple with you in a bag.

But I get what you’re saying otherwise.

Re: Samsung's folding phone breaks for reviewers

#186

I don’t get why all the phone makers are set on making bendable folding phones. We have the tech to make OLEDs with near zero bezels, so it seems like the most practical way to do this would just be to use two separate display elements, and make the gap between them as small as possible.

This was the approach of the ZTE Axon M. I think it was a good way to do it as well.

Re: Samsung's folding phone breaks for reviewers

#187
post #185
post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Phone batteries are replaceable. Just not directly by end-users (well, not most end-users). There are design tradeoffs to make the batteries user-replaceable. E.g., the batteries are going to need a casing and socket that make them OK for users to handle and replace. The phone's going to need additional casing pieces, latches, and seals, etc. The phone's going to be a little bigger, heavier and more expensive. Maybe…

Replacing dead batteries is different than the UX of being able to swap empty batteries with fully charged ones so your phone is never left charging on a charger for hours, only one of multiple batteries are. Plus when travelling or away from the charger you could carry multiple with you in a bag. But I get what you’re saying otherwise.

I get what you're saying, but most modern chargers solve this problem.

I plug my phone into a usb-c charger for 10 minutes and I've got 2~3 hours of charge.

If I really need to be away for a long period, a portable battery pack works just fine (still only needs to be plugged in for a few minutes to get me hours of charge).

I don't really have problems with my battery dying during normal use. I DO have problems with gradually reduced battery life as the battery degrades.

Re: Samsung's folding phone breaks for reviewers

#188

I think it's simple science, no multi-layer material can withstand that stress, but the current technological optimism made too many people believe nothing human can't do. Like this one trader dude I tried to reason with, he was basically "I've got money."

See also: Internet responses to the AirPower cancellation. It mostly sums up to "how dare a big company with a lot of money not be able to defy physical laws." People seem to think they'll magically solve wireless charging over distance as well...

Re: Samsung's folding phone breaks for reviewers

#189
post #13
post #2

Most cases seem to be due to users mistakenly removing the permanent screen protection layer. The company claims that the foldable screen has been tested for 200,000 folds -- i.e. about 5 years of rigorous use.

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.

Also, it seems likely that the protector could peel off accidentally during ordinary use, even by users who know not to remove it.

Re: Samsung's folding phone breaks for reviewers

#190
post #47

Let's assume that they knew this was a half baked product. Not a "first edition" product like the first iPhone, but a rushed, half baked product, released without consideration of sales but just for being the first in the market for this niche. Given this assumption, why would you give it to reviewers at all ? Remember "Vertu" ? They were the Ferrari of phones during the Blackberry era and were _shit_. I got my hands…

>They were the Ferrari of phones >There's a reason why they were not reviewed widely Coincidentally, Ferrari also play dishonest games with reviewers: https://jalopnik.com/how-ferrari-spins-5760248

It's not only Ferrari. Across the car industry, reviewers are typically given the highest performing and best examples that come off the production line.

There is a surprising amount of variability between 'identical' cars.

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