APRIL 2020 PCWorld 95and there’s no signs of it slowing down. If
anything, with the advent of folding tech,
phones are going to push further into mini
tablet territory.
THE UNCERTAIN FUTURE
Folding phones might still be novel and
interesting, but we’re a long way from
mainstream use. The Galaxy Z Flip (go.
pcworld.com/szfp) is certainly a big step in
the right direction, but with so-so cameras,
nascent UIs, and uncertain form factors,
foldables are still in the experimental phase
and likely will be for a while.
But even if foldable phones were to
magically become durable and affordable,
the only real problem they solve is
pocketability. When you want to use the
Galaxy Fold (go.pcworld.com/smfd),
you’re still stuck with a giant screen, and if
anything, folded phones will quickly get
just as big as today’s non-folding handsets.
This brings us to a crossroads: There’s only
so much bezel that can be trimmed, and if
phone screens keep increasing in size,
we’re going to be looking at Galaxy Tab
A-sized screens in just a couple more years,
folding or not.
And it’s all a big distraction from the truth:
smartphone evolution has stalled. Folding
displays and space-zoom cameras aside,
we’re at something of a lull in smartphone
innovation, even as displays have gotten
bigger. I’ll admit that Samsung’s Galaxy S20
120Hz panels are downright remarkable, but
brightness and speed aside, my Galaxy S9’s
display is plenty good. As we all wait for the
next big breakthrough, whether it’s folding
screens, everlasting batteries, or next-gen AI,
phone makers are trying to convince us that
bigger screens are the main thing we need,
and power users will work harder and smarter
with more pixels.
And as a result, small phones have gotten
short shrift. Phone makers have reserved
some features for its biggest phones due to
space and battery limitations, but now, even
6.2-inch phones are missing out on features in
their larger-screener counterparts, whether
that’s better screens, faster connectivity, or
more powerful cameras.
Phones used to have so many new
features people wanted to upgrade every
year, but with the push into more screen,
people are holding onto their phones longer.
Part of the reason is the price, of course, but
that’s merely a consequence, not the cause.
The larger issue is that phone makers are
reserving their best features for phones with
the biggest screens, essentially forcing
consumers to buy more phone than they
might want.
So they’re waiting, which only leads to
bigger phones. Phone makers are in such a
race to one-up each other that none of
them seem to be thinking about what can
actually make them better. And a 7-inch
display isn’t it.