Google’s Pixel Fold: Will Foldable Phones Take Off?
In 2021, Google announced the long-awaited launch of their namesake foldable phone, the Google Pixel Fold, which has no release date as of yet but is expected to drop in 2022. It comes almost a decade after the release of the original Google Pixel model on February 21, 2013, and proves that whilst the demand for foldable phones may not have taken off in a major way in the years since, their ability to facilitate online gaming and mobile betting on sports betting platforms like William Hill for example, and livestreaming on entertainment platforms, may suggest a bright future for the digital trend that has already been capitalised on by Samsung and Microsoft.
They will become a cheaper alternative
As the rising cost of smartphones continues to deter consumers from purchasing the latest and greatest smartphone to land on the market, foldable phones have emerged as a cost-effective alternative. This is largely due to the fact that digital devices tend to fall in price as the years go on and technological advancements continue to emerge at a rapid pace. If foldable phones are to follow the same pattern, they will continue to fall in price over the years to become much more affordable than the latest and greatest smartphone which, as of 2022, can cost upwards of £1,000 (around R20,400).
They are difficult to clean
If you have ever seen or even interacted with a foldable phone, you are probably aware that they include an air gap between both screens. This may allow foldable phones to benefit from greater movement and flexibility, but it can also mean they are difficult to clean with the gap preventing the phone from fully closing shut and creating a slight space where air, dust, and even water, can circulate and collect. It has, however, led to a number of alternative foldable phones, such as the Huawei Mate X2, solving this problem by positioning the fold to allow for a virtually gap-free close.
They can facilitate multitasking
If you multitask in your personal or professional life, you may find a foldable phone more useful to you than a traditional smartphone. This is because they can facilitate multitasking by allowing you to work on multiple screens at any given time and perhaps even, in the case of the latest RAZR model, browse notifications whilst the phone is fully closed. This can prevent you from having to splash out on multiphone phones for home and work-related purposes and may even save you a considerable amount of time and money in the process. This can also allow you to get involved with the recent rise in mobile gaming with foldable phones potentially becoming a great way to enjoy an improved user experience.
They have poor battery lives
It is no secret that foldable phones require substantially more internal storage and external parts to operate. This has, as a result, led to foldable phones suffering from poor battery lives with larger screens, more moving parts, and a high refresh rate requiring more power to continue working for as long as a regular phone. If you have a foldable phone, you may, therefore, be forced to charge it more regularly which can, as a result, diminish its overall dependability and reliability during times of need or when you may need it the most.
The recent news of the latest foldable phone, Google Pixel Fold, last year has led a growing number of people to wonder whether foldable phones will ever take off or whether they will remain in relative obscurity for years and years to come. It may, however, be worth knowing that they will become a cheaper alternative over time and can facilitate multitasking, but they are also somewhat difficult to clean and have poor battery lives.