this post was submitted on 15 Jun 2023
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Technology
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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.
Bigger pockets should be the norm, 100%, but it only solves half the problem.
Hand size is a big thing too. I'd take a smaller screen if it fit my hand better. I don't want a pop socket, I don't want to to have to use two hands, and I don't want to drop my phone.
I have fairly average man sized hands and I'm not clumsy. I probably dropped my Galaxy S4/5 about 1-2 times per year. When I got a bigger phone, it became a couple times a month, and it's uncomfortable. Currently, because I don't want the bulk of a pop socket, but want the one hand grip benefits, I cut two slits in my case and added a loop of kite repair tape that, when I need, I slide a finger though.
I shouldn't need to do that because my phone is so big I cat reach the whole screen without 2 hands.
Doesn't solve the small hands ergonomics aspect, but yeah, bigger pockets would be nice. I'll take whichever quality of life improvements I can get, though.
Do flip phones solve that? It's just as big when open, the flip part is just so it fits nicer in your pocket.
Yeah that lost me too. Many standard phones have a much smaller footprint than the flip phones once they're open, and imo a hinged portion that moves when pressure is applied makes it easier to drop, not more difficult. Like with where my fingers are on the back of my phone now, if I move them I could push the top portion closed if it were a flip phone.