If the updated Galaxy Fold is successful, it will mark the beginning of the era of smartphones with folding screens.
A few days ago, Samsung nevertheless presented the world with an updated version. Galaxy Fold. The manufacturer managed to cope with the difficulties that arose initially, when the display was easily damaged after a few folds due to problems with the hinge. There were also problems with the film covering the screen. All these shortcomings have been eliminated, while the characteristics of the device remained unchanged - Snapdragon 855 processor, 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage. It is still difficult to judge how successful the new launch will be. Sales should begin in South Korea this month. Other countries will follow, including also Russia.
And although the first (very limited) batch of Fold was immediately sold out on pre-sales, in general, users were rather skeptical about the new product. On the Internet, you can find a lot of frankly mocking reviews that predict a new failure for the smartphone, which will be caused by the next problems associated with the screen.
There are also many who simply do not understand why a smartphone with a folding screen is needed at all, and even for $2000. For most everyday tasks, an ordinary “shovel” is quite enough, and if you need a really large diagonal, then a tablet will be much more practical (although, of course, it is more convenient to carry one device instead of two). So far, there is no scenario in which the new technology would give the user a really noticeable advantage. Definitely, Fold is a godsend for a person who is in love with technology, but by no means a simple user. This is a very interesting device from a technical point of view, but nothing more.
The technology of folding screens is still very crude, we can recommend Fold for purchase only to those who have an extra couple of thousand dollars, like experiments or want to stand out. In addition, the manufacturer has not yet been able to clearly explain what special advantages the owner of such a device receives, except for a slightly increased diagonal of the screen when unfolded.
Bold experiments
But despite the fact that users do not really need smartphones with folding screens yet, one cannot but praise Samsung for the desire to create something new. The company is not afraid to experiment, even if they sometimes fail. Other manufacturers have not yet been able to offer users a ready-made folding solution (Royole managed to introduce this a little earlier, but it turned out to be completely unsuccessful). At one time, it was the desire to explore new territories and turned Samsung from a third-rate manufacturer of low-quality black-and-white televisions to one of the leading electronics manufacturers in the world.
For example, Apple simply cannot afford such a "luxury". The company constantly presents us with something new and interesting. However, having a lineup of 2-3 devices, she will not take risks and create something really unusual. Apple implements only those technologies that have proven themselves to be proven. After all, if any of the iPhones repeat the fate of Fold, it will mean a real disaster for the company. Samsung, on the other hand, may well admit that one device from a wide range of models turned out to be a failure.
And how can one not recall the sad fate of Nokia. The company was actively engaged in experiments. According to the memoirs of its employees, Nokia research centers created many interesting and unusual developments, which in the end were not given a go. Users received many models, the difference between which was sometimes only in design. The software was no better. When the company's management realized that the Symbian system was already completely outdated, it was already too late, iOS and Android ruled the world. But even here the company had interesting developments that were not paid attention to. Nokia brand exists today, very good devices are produced under it. But these are just another Android smartphones, they don't have the same spirit of Nokia.
There was a similar fate Sony. This company was at the top of the technological Olympus only while it set bold, even if not always successful, experiments. But as soon as the internal bureaucracy won over the innovative spirit inherent in Sony from the very beginning, a rapid decline began.
New era?
If the “second coming” of the Fold is successful, then this will be the beginning of the era of smartphones with folding screens. Otherwise, the beginning of a new era will be delayed, but only for a while. After all, many manufacturers are working in this direction. So, the folding model has already been presented, but so far Huawei has not brought it to sales. Interest was demonstrated by Oppo and Xiaomi. A number of patents related to foldable devices are owned by Apple. In the foreseeable future, such devices may well become commonplace, especially when the cost of technology drops markedly.
That being said, there is no doubt that in the early years, folding screen devices will only be niche solutions for the rich and geeks. And whether electronics manufacturers will be able to offer us something that will interest them in a really large number of users, time will tell. Experiments will continue until the technology is "polished to a shine" or shows its complete failure.
Meanwhile, it became known that Samsung working on a new foldable smartphone model. This time, not for technology lovers, but for those who want to buy a status item. However, the release date of this novelty depends entirely on the success (or failure) of the Fold. By the way, it is important to note here that when we talk about success, we do not mean mass sales, but user satisfaction. The device was created solely to draw additional attention to Samsung. But if it fails a second time, it will only lead to negative consequences for the brand.
