Foldable Smart Phone

[makattak]

So the Galaxy Fold is here!!!

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/04/bendgate-2-0-samsungs-2000-foldable-phone-is-already-breaking/

And it's already showing problems.

Apart from the issues of a first generation new tech (I will not ever own this version and likely several succeeding iterations), I have another problem.

Samsung apparently used the folding technology to double the size of the viewing area.

That's nice, but I'd like a smartphone that was half the size of my current one. To have half the space of my pocket taken up instead of all of it.

I don't need a tablet. Give me a flip phone back.

[230RN]

Today's very low signal level devices do not like bending conductors or mere pressure contacts.

[Hawkmoon]

I'm already seeing reports that after folding and opening a few times, the screens either develop fold lines, or just quit working entirely.

Not interested.

[Firethorn]

Flip phones are still available.  You just need to search a bit normally, they like to hide them.

What network are you on?

[BlueStarLizzard]

Flip phones are still available.  You just need to search a bit normally, they like to hide them.

What network are you on?

The next time I get a new phone, I might switch back over to a flip phone. The smart phone I have now is bigger than I'd like and I've never liked using smart phones as actual phones.  There is something to be said for tactile buttons on stuff like phones and cars. Touch screens can be a PITA.

[p12]

If it wasn’t for texts I would go back to a flip phone.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Boomhauer]

If you want to be crumogendly you can get a Casio boulder fliphone for $40 on eBay

I personally love my IPhone 8 Plus. I am issued a standard 7 for work and I hate how small it is

[makattak]

Flip phones are still available.  You just need to search a bit normally, they like to hide them.

What network are you on?

Yes, I can get a non-smart phone. I'm meaning a flip-phone with smartphone capability.

(How else will I waste time on APS when I'm out in the world!?)

[Ben]

As I've mentioned before, in many ways I'd love to return to a simple flip phone and avoid the intrusiveness of the googles and whatnot. However as my last couple of weeks of learning Idaho have shown, a smart phone makes life SO much easier. I'm pretty sure I've saved at least a couple of days of time and a couple of hundred miles of driving around over the last couple of weeks just by saying "Hey Google".

I can't think of another way to be nearly as efficient without carrying a laptop with a 4G internet connection around with me, or else waiting for society to go back to phone books and paper maps (both of which I would then need to carry in the car with me, and they're a little bulkier than my S9).

Edit: S9, not S7. I don't even know what's in my pocket.

[Perd Hapley]

As I've mentioned before, in many ways I'd love to return to a simple flip phone and avoid the intrusiveness of the googles and whatnot. However as my last couple of weeks of learning Idaho have shown, a smart phone makes life SO much easier. I'm pretty sure I've saved at least a couple of days of time and a couple of hundred miles of driving around over the last couple of weeks just by saying "Hey Google".

I can't think of another way to be nearly as efficient without carrying a laptop with a 4G internet connection around with me, or else waiting for society to go back to phone books and paper maps (both of which I would then need to carry in the car with me, and they're a little bulkier than my S7).

I agree with this, except for the flip-phone part. I never derived any particular benefit from that form factor, aside from the fact that it's its own screen protector.

[TechMan]

I'm already seeing reports that after folding and opening a few times, the screens either develop fold lines, or just quit working entirely.

Not interested.

You think they would've caught that in testing...

[WLJ]

Miss my old Motorola flip phone. After putting an extra capacity battery into it that I got off Amazon for 10 bucks I could go two weeks at a time before worrying about recharging. With my current Galaxy S7 I feel like I'm constantly watching the battery meter.

[BlueStarLizzard]

As I've mentioned before, in many ways I'd love to return to a simple flip phone and avoid the intrusiveness of the googles and whatnot. However as my last couple of weeks of learning Idaho have shown, a smart phone makes life SO much easier. I'm pretty sure I've saved at least a couple of days of time and a couple of hundred miles of driving around over the last couple of weeks just by saying "Hey Google".

I can't think of another way to be nearly as efficient without carrying a laptop with a 4G internet connection around with me, or else waiting for society to go back to phone books and paper maps (both of which I would then need to carry in the car with me, and they're a little bulkier than my S7).

Yeah, but I can do that with my tablet, since it's on the same network as my phone. *shrug*

[Ben]

Yeah, but I can do that with my tablet, since it's on the same network as my phone. *shrug*

But then you're carrying two things around with you, and the tablet is way bigger than the phone.

[BlueStarLizzard]

But then you're carrying two things around with you, and the tablet is way bigger than the phone.

<--- Girl. Purse.  

But seriously, I generally just carry keys and wallet into stores and whatnot. Most the time I leave the phone in the car and, if I have it physically on my person, it's just to be a phone. I'm never using the non phone functions on it when I'm not either in my car or some place I'm carrying my purse anyway.
I can see how carrying more could be a problem for someone without a bag, but, in all honesty, how much are you using the smart phone features when you'd have to carry your tablet around somewhere?

[T.O.M.]

Agree with the crowd here...miss the size of my old phones, but don't want to give up the functions of my smart phone.  On a recent drive across Ohio using the Maps app, I was given warning of upcoming speed traps.  It was pretty accurate, too.  I used to carry a spare mag in the back pocket when I wear jeans.  With my current phone, a Samsung Galaxy S9+, that's the only place I can carry my phone, unless I use a holster on my belt.  Which, by the way, is only a bit more comfortable than appendix carrying my SIG handguns. 

[Perd Hapley]

Agree with the crowd here...miss the size of my old phones, but don't want to give up the functions of my smart phone.  On a recent drive across Ohio using the Maps app, I was given warning of upcoming speed traps.  It was pretty accurate, too.  I used to carry a spare mag in the back pocket when I wear jeans.  With my current phone, a Samsung Galaxy S9+, that's the only place I can carry my phone, unless I use a holster on my belt.  Which, by the way, is only a bit more comfortable than appendix carrying my SIG handguns. 

If you're ever shopping for new trousers, you might keep an eye out for cargo pants with a phone pocket, or "tech pocket." Some of those phone pockets are pretty roomy. Some carpenter pants will also have a leg pocket large enough.

[Firethorn]

If you're ever shopping for new trousers, you might keep an eye out for cargo pants with a phone pocket, or "tech pocket." Some of those phone pockets are pretty roomy. Some carpenter pants will also have a leg pocket large enough.

Might be tough with my "phone".  It has a diagonal just under 12"

 

The cell tablet I ordered turned out to be a phone, and given that the cellphone company was happy to assign it a number and charge me for it, I dropped my other phone, only needing one device.

I either use speakerphone or a bluetooth headset with it.

[HankB]

If it wasn’t for texts I would go back to a flip phone.

I don't do texts or want texts - that's what email is for. I use my cell phone as a PHONE - you know, to actually TALK to people I want to talk to.   

It's an LG flip-phone (I call it a "dumb phone" to distinguish it from "smart phones") with Tracfone service that costs me around $6 a month. I've used it as a phone in a number of states - Minnesota, Texas, Florida, Ohio, Kentucky, California, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma . . . it worked fine as a phone in all of them.

[Hawkmoon]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtqtyyGZvXM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7WpRzSnNAU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-ROgEEBSEU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjD4SNG6jE8

[Perd Hapley]

...in all honesty, how much are you using the smart phone features when you'd have to carry your tablet around somewhere?

Quite a lot, or it wouldn't be worth paying for data.

[Ben]

<--- Girl. Purse.  

Somehow I knew that would be your response. 

[Ben]

On a slight tangent, it could be we won't have to have this debate in the near future. I can't find the original article I read that goes into more detail, but this Cnet article is a good synopsis:

https://www.cnet.com/news/hearing-aids-now-theyre-internet-ai-and-health-devices-starkey-oticon-harman-bose/

"Hearing aids" for the non-hearing impaired are potentially becoming a thing. Much like "Jarvis" in The Avengers, the earpiece will be your connection to the Internet and Smart Things instead of your phone.

I can see that. Ever since I got my fitness watch, I check my phone less because text messages, email subjects, calendar events, etc. all pop up on the watch, so I just glance at that and decide if I need to use my phone or not. Having an earpiece that provides audio of these things could be even more convenient.

[HeroHog]

FIFY

"Hearing aids" for the non-hearing impaired are... ...even more convenient Distracting.

[BlueStarLizzard]

Somehow I knew that would be your response. 

You could always man purse it.  My new purse is very unisex.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B071YVZGQS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1