Most of you think foldables will be the ‘new mainstream’

Samsung relies heavily on foldable phones and even goes so far as to skip the flagship Galaxy Note in favor of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3 devices. In fact, Mobile boss TM Roh went so far as to say that foldable devices are “the new mainstream”.

Do our readers agree? We asked Android authority Readers, whether they think folding boxes are really “the new mainstream”, and so you have voted.

Are foldables really the “new mainstream” for smartphones?

Results

We published this poll on August 13th and so far it has received just over 3,300 votes. The most popular result? Well, 41% of respondents said that foldable products are not yet the new mainstream, but they are.

Given the current foldable landscape, this is an understandable choice. The most popular foldable devices today don’t seem to be reaching numbers comparable to the popular flagship phones. We also doubt that the majority of people actually see many foldables in the wild. Even so, more brands will join in 2021. So it looks like sales are only going up.

Our verdict: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 in the test – not a replacement for the Note, but a nice foldable one

Meanwhile, 32.6% of readers say that foldable products are not the new mainstream at all. Comments suggest that the weight and thickness, durability, battery life, and price work against the mainstream status of foldable devices.

Finally, 26.2% of those surveyed say that foldable products are actually the new mainstream. I can absolutely understand why readers would vote for this option. After all, devices like the Galaxy Z Fold series are heavier, more expensive, and have fragile screens compared to traditional smartphones, but the ability to have a tablet in your pocket is a huge plus.

Comments

• Techngro: Only when the price goes down.
• Leo: Only after Apple hits the market in two years with a foldable iPhone that calls it “overlapping screen” or something like that and says it’s their big innovation.
• Melissa K: The only problem I had with my Z2 was * knock on wood *… phone brackets. I am recording content videos and cannot use this phone on a tripod or gimbal (Ronin SC). Suuuper annoying. ((It’s too thick when it’s closed)) I found a car mount that will hold it securely! … Unfortunately, due to the weight of the phone, it crashes every now and then. If we “mainstream” foldables, can we please have the accessories?!?
• Thomas Waznis: Less price and first more memory needed
• It is clear: the price is the key to me. A “mainstream” price of, say, $ 1,000 makes this more practical for adoption. It remains to be seen whether Samsung will bring out a “non-premium” Flip / Fold, Microsoft will lower the price for the Duo 2, or Google will get into the foldable game with $ 1,000. We have to see.
• Robert Palmar: I think the mobile boss at Samsung said that foldables are the new mainstream alongside other mainstreams. He was thinking more of the device class for foldable devices. As prices drop to the ground, foldable devices are no longer exclusive devices and are more mainstream like other mainstream phones.
• Igor Božović: Someday, something like Z Flip would become cheap and durable enough to become mainstream. Damn it, you’re on Star Trek
• Joe Black: I would say, no matter what the price, I won’t bother with it for a long time – as the price, size, durability, battery life, etc. all of these things are compromised. When I have something that works and I want to replace it with something … it makes sense that “the new” should be better … an upgrade … and it’s currently far from better than the standard handset.
• anonymous 42: Sure, when Apple finally produces a foldable iPhone or iPad.

Thank you for your vote on this poll and for leaving comments! What does it take to make foldable devices more popular than traditional flagship phones? Let us know below!