The Beginner’s Guide To Foldable Phones

Since their invention, smartphones have gradually changed in size and shape over time. Today, most modern smartphones look about the same. Add rounded corners to a slap of glass (with an aluminum back and minimalist buttons of course), and you’ve got yourself the stereotypical smartphone in 2019.

However, the days of cookie-cutter smartphones appear to be ending fast. Numerous manufacturers have been working to one-up each other with designs that look a little unconventional. In fact, most big-name manufacturers are scrambling to create foldable phones. Yes, you read that correctly — a foldable smartphone.

The Rise of Foldable Phones

While we’ve barely seen the first wave of foldable phones in the wild, there are already a number of different shapes and sizes available. Gone are the days of the classic glass and aluminum smartphone with rounded corners. Instead, smartphones appear to be going back to the future. Allow us to explain.

Before the release of the original iPhone, cell phones came in all sorts of wacky shapes and sizes. For example, consider flip phones, sliders, swivels, and of course, the original “brick” phones. In a way, the development of numerous different foldable smartphones is really just a return to the original cell phone marketplace.

Reimagining The Smart Phone

After years of cookie-cutter smartphones, we’ve become accustomed to the idea of a one-size-fits-all smartphone. Yet, this is not the way that cell phones originally started out. Before the introduction of the first smartphones, many users viewed the type of cell phone they use as a reflection of their unique personality.

From the T-Mobile Sidekick to the Motorola Razr, cell phones were as much of a fashion statement as they were a practical tool for communicating with friends, family, and business associates. Somewhere along the way, this aspect of the experience got lost.

Smartphone manufacturers prioritized innovative features like touchscreens, processing power, and operating systems over device designs, and we ended up with the current dime-a-dozen smartphone mold. This is a dismal situation for those who appreciate unique product design, but it appears to be changing quickly.

Smartphones in their current form have effectively peaked. Manufacturers appear to have discovered that there are only so many ways you can repackage the same design before consumers stop upgrading their devices every year. This trend, paired with the introduction of flexible screen technology, create the perfect environment for the introduction of fresh and exciting foldable designs.

While it may be a few years before we see foldable smartphones hitting the market in waves, the first few options have already arrived. Some have had notable technical difficulties associated with their roll-out, but this is to be expected for any new technology.

Looking forward, we eagerly anticipate the continued introduction of smartphones that are as unique as their users. Better yet, the introduction of devices with new designs is likely to change the way users interact with smartphones, which is another exciting prospect that shouldn’t be overlooked.