88 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 72
Z Flip 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, 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:
smartphoneevolutionhasstalled.Folding displays
andspace-zoomcameras aside, we’re
atsomethingofa lullin smartphone
innovation,evenasdisplays have
gottenbigger.I’lladmit that Samsung’s
GalaxyS20120Hzpanels are
downrightremarkable, but brightness
andspeedaside,myGalaxy S9’s
displayis plentygood. As we all wait
forthenextbigbreakthrough, whether
it’sfoldingscreens,everlasting
batteries,ornext-gen AI, phone
Folding phones like the
Galaxy Z Flip aren’t going to
save us from too-big phones
