Counterpoint: Flip Phones Are a Dumb Idea

I would personally be more interested in flip phones if they could stop insisting upon the foldable screen and instead committed to giving it 2 screens with a thin bezel. That way you wouldn't have to worry about a crease forming in the middle of the screen.

Microsoft did that and it sold poorly.
- Because it's a Microsoft phone, not because it's a bad idea.
The Pixel DS!
Microsoft did that twice already and both were colossal commercial failures. Behold the Surface Duo

I've always been enamored with flip phones because they're the closest thing we have to a Star Trek communicator, but the current gen of foldable screens are a nightmare.

My very last flip phone was the Star Trek. I still miss how satisfying it was to hang up by flipping it closed.
- Oh neat! Yeah I agree.
  
  When my Pixel 4a was on its way out, I was seriously tempted to get a Galaxy Flip4 because there's someone who made a case turning it into a tricorder.

Counterpoint to the counterpoint, I have a Z Flip 4 and I love this thing. Yes, the internal screen is easier to scratch but since the screen is closed when you're not using it, it's not really an issue unless you're Edward Scissorhands. Yes, there is an extra step to using the phone proper but the small outer screen lets me do all of the "need to check my phone real quick" stuff without needing to open it, like checking the time, notifications, weather, timers, and Spotify. Besides the cool factor, though, I have to carry a phone for work in the same pocket and this form factor makes that easier with less risk of scratching either screen. I won't say it's for everyone, but it's perfect for my use case.

My partner just got a Z Flip 4, I definitely can see the appeal. It's pretty tempting honestly. I prefer the Apple ecosystem, but I love the cool innovations of phones like that. The little screen on the outside is so much more usable than I ever expected.

Counter, counterpoint.. I don't think they are a dumb idea per se, or that they should be the new standard paradigm in smartphones. The issue right now with all of them is that they START at $900 and up. That's well beyond what I want to, or am willing to spend for a smart device that I will most likely have to recycle inside of three years because the battery is a disaster to replace. For me, it's not an option until it's in the sub-500 dollar range. Midrange tech is just too good to drop $1,000+ on a phone these days. I don't think foldables will be taking over anytime soon.

you say that midrange tech is good these days so I have to ask- i'm about to replace my old iPhone SE, and I'm thinking about going the android route.

i'm looking at the Google pixels, and I wonder if I should get the 7A or seven pro. The seven pro is only like eight dollars a month more, so if its worth it I would choose that
- I had a 6 pro and downgraded to the 6a. Same experience with a smaller screen and slightly worse camera for near 1000$ less.
- I have a Pixel 7 and don't feel like I'm missing out by not having the Pro (I have had Pixel devices since the 2XL). It all depends on whether you want a larger screen (I think the 7 is already plenty large), and a telephoto lens. The processor is the same in both, and battery life is decent in both as well. $8 a month doesn't SEEM like much, but over a year it's almost $100. So you have to ask if those things are worth it to you or not. I have a Dbrand Skin on mine to make it pop a bit over the black. Overall, I think you'll be more than happy with the 7.
- I have a Pixel 7 and don't feel like I'm missing out by not having the Pro (I have had Pixel devices since the 2XL). It all depends on whether you want a larger screen (I think the 7 is already plenty large), and a telephoto lens. The processor is the same in both, and battery life is decent in both as well. $8 a month doesn't SEEM like much, but over a year it's almost $100. So you have to ask if those things are worth it to you or not. I have a Dbrand Skin on mine to make it pop a bit over the black.
  
  Overall, I think you'll be more than happy with the 7.

I just want someone other than Unihertz to be making phones with keyboards again.

I love my titan and titan slim, but good gravy...

I want it as like a clamshell case real bad. I'd spend way too much money to turn my iPhone into a baby laptop form factor when I want it.

There's a finite length and width I can put in a pocket. Foldables are the path to a screen with a length and width larger than that.

The tech still sucks and isn't worth using, but the concept is very clear.

I 100% do not get the appeal of a folding phone today. What benefit does it offer? Like the article opinion says, I sort of see the appeal of a folding full size, way bigger screen. I have a friend that has one and uses it because he doesn't want a tablet and because he reads a lot of comics. He also breaks his phone more than any person I've ever met and he likes that the inner screen is more prefected/harder to break (his outer screen is trashed btw).

But he's got to be the edge case of phone users right? Am I crazy? Am I an old man yelling at a cloud? It's okay if I am. To me it's like arguing that everyone should stop using slim wallets or frontnpocket wallets and go back to the wallet that has every cars you've ever had in it and makes you sit 3" higher on one butt cheek.

I'm a woman with small hands and unfortunately smaller pockets. I don't need a thinner phone - I need a shorter, narrower phone that's comfortable to hold and that won't peek out halfway from my jeans.

So for me, the flip phone format makes a lot of sense, because companies seem intent on offering me Large or XXL Max Extra only in terms of candybar phones.

That said, I don't think it should be the mainstream, never mind the silly hyperbole that "every smartphone should be a flip phone". We just generally need more size/format variety in the market.
- I would argue that what you actually need are bigger pockets, but since pants manufacturers REFUSE TO GIVE THEM TO WOMEN, I see where you're coming from.

You gain no reduction in volume or weight, and no increase in usable screen real estate.

Isn't that just how folding works? You trade off dimensions.. a double thick square is much easier for my small hands to grab and stuff in my pocket, compared to a long rectangle

Honestly I just miss being able to hang up calls by slamming the thing closed, that's it. I won't buy a modern one but that was always satisfying.

I think it's like 3D movies. You will make some money off the people who buy into the gimmick, some more off of the people who remember and want the Razr again, and the rest acts as a kind of "hey we're innovating here!" commercial for the manufacturer.

It's a dumb gimmick, but it seems like capitalism is almost exclusively dumb gimmicks at this point.

There is at least a decent advantage in the flip phones of having the screen protected when the phone isn't in use. I could see them potentially becoming more popular over time if they are improved upon and become cheaper, if only for that reason.
- In my opinion modern screens are scratch resistant enough to put in the pocket without many problems and if you need more resistance you can get a screen protecting foil or a case. If my non foldable phone would scratch too much in my pockets I wouldn't really think about replacing it with a device that is twice as expensive and has an additional hinge that could fail.

I can't help but love flip phones, but definitely wouldn't go near the folding-screen variety for a lot of generations. I hope one day to have something as robust as the old dumbphones.

I agree that a standard flip phone is dumb. That being said, the galaxy fold and google fold make sense in certain use cases, because having a tablet for some productivity tasks is worthwhile.

The problem is the hinge & screen. I don't think the technology is there for long term durability.

I really want to like the folding screen flip phones we have now, but I’d constantly be concerned about scratching the plastic-ish screen

Samsung Flip 4 haver here. Picked it up cheap through Google Fi around the NA release. No scratches so far. The screen seems pretty tough. The only real complaint I can think of is that I can't open it one handed.