The biggest barrier to widespread adoption of phones with these new designs is their high price. Samsung’s first folding phone was launched in 2019 for $ 1,980. Last year Z Flip cost $ 1,380 and Microsoft’s Surface Duo sells for $ 1,400. However, these technologies will start to become a little more accessible this year according to industry analyst Patrick Moorhead, founder and president of Moor Insights & Strategy.
“There’s a pricing issue. I see it going down this year,” Moorhead says. “If some penetration prices could be made to reach the $ 1,000 entry level, that would start to generate a considerable volume.” Moorhead also hopes to see more of these folding designs at the Mobile World Congress in June. (The MWC usually takes place in late February in Barcelona, but the program was postponed until June due to the Covid-19 pandemic).
Another barrier is reliability. Currently, most high-end single-screen phones have sturdy glass that protects the screen, along with an IP68 water resistance rating that protects it from accidental water submersion. However, the 2019 Galaxy Fold was paralyzed after some dust spots entered the hinge of the folding phone, which caused a delayed launch and forced Samsung to modify the hinge mechanism. It was an embarrassing stumble, but things have come a long way in a year.
“When Lenovo came out with Yoga, it took years for the industry to improve things like hinges,” says Moorhead. “We even saw changes from year to year with Samsung when the second version of the Fold used a brush mechanism, while the previous version used a traditional hinge. This may not seem like a big deal, but in the world of mechanical engineering is huge. “
This brush mechanism cleaned the inside of the hinge every time the phone was opened or closed and helped prevent debris from escaping into the internal components of the Fold 2. Moorhead expects this year’s folding phones to feature the same levels of durability we expected from rectangular slab designs. Streit echoed Moorhead’s sentiments and stressed that mechanical engineering plays a growing role in smartphone design. “This industry didn’t need a lot of moving parts in the last ten years,” he says. “The roller should be a very good mechanical experience that avoids dirt.”
TCL says it plans to launch a foldable or roll-up phone in 2021 and LG confirmed to Nikkei that the LG Rollable will go on sale this year. None of this means that the traditional single-screen phone experience will soon be gone. After all, Streit points out that people still buy cell phones today. He also says these new display technologies are “a long-term strategy” for TCL.
Let the good times roll
LG’s mobile phone design was briefly mocked during the CES press conference. We look forward to hearing more later this year.
Video: LGWe should hope that the first wave of devices with these new rotating screens won’t try to incorporate too many new features. Otherwise, phone manufacturers run the risk of overwhelming consumers accustomed to traditional smartphone designs.