These days everyone is talking about foldable screen smartphones or dual screen phones. In fact, companies have been providing a "compelling" foldable screen model for a decade. The press interested in the technical affairs to promote this technology based on reports obtained from the laboratories and built many future predictions for this technology. And the matter gets even more exciting, as scientists have recently developed a foldable battery that will certainly pave the way for the development of new generations of flexible smartphones. But will these phones gain great popularity? Or will it disappear as quickly as it came? Follow us.

Foldable phones and future challenges

As for dual-screen phones, it is likely to gain great popularity and wide purchases. This is mostly due to the selfie craze, as well as another attempt by companies to tweak that routine rectangular shape that has become boring.

And looking at what companies are doing with these changes, it's a big challenge. They aim to reach the satisfaction of customers who tend to have smartphones with a maximum number of screens, and at the same time want a minimum size of phones. And this is what we see today in those models, some of which we will mention later. We saw the combination of the phone and the tablet in the true sense of each of them.

But!

These ideas and experiments face a great challenge that may cause them to fail if not bypass them, despite the fact that these ideas are amazing in theory. This may be for some reasons, which we will mention after reviewing the latest developments in this technology recently.

Samsung foldable phone

In the past few days, Samsung presented "timidly" a model for a new phone that contains two screens, one of which is foldable, but unfortunately the display of the device did not last for a few seconds. This phone said the news that its price will start from $ 1770 and reach or more than $ 2000, and according to reports, it is expected that Samsung will reveal it in the first half of next year, provided that it is available in the middle of the year. And there is news that it could sell 1 million devices or more.

FlexPai Phone

The Chinese company "Ruyu" published a video clip on Twitter of a foldable screen phone called FlexPai, the size of 7.8 inches, the size of the iPad mini. And it appears that the screen can be folded outward and not inward, or more precisely, the screen wrapped around the device! There is also a second screen inside. The phone, despite its fold, remains too large to be put in the pocket. The phone comes with very good features and is expected to be launched next December at a price of $ 1300. You can watch the video:

Also, we cannot overlook Huawei’s role in this field. The CEO of the company, Richard Dew, confirmed upon the launch of the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro that the company plans to launch its distinctive foldable phone that supports 5G technology in 2019.

Evan Blass, who has a large record of future product leaks, also told that LG is also planning to unveil a flexible screen phone that will be announced at the CES conference or the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next January.

Dual screen devices

Foldable screens aren't the only way to increase screen size on smartphones. Earlier this year, we saw the Axon M phone made by ZTE, the owner of the dual screen, and was known as a foldable phone. However, it has not met with great success in all respects, perhaps because it is not the concept of the foldable screen that users expect. It is like other old two-part phones, except that this is the development of the system to extend to the two screens as if they were one part.

Microsoft has also been keen to introduce dual-screen devices for a long time, as evidenced by the Courier project, which was canceled ten years ago. It is also rumored that it has postponed the introduction of the "Andromeda" dual-screen phone working with Windows 10, and is expected to be launched in the next year or two.

And last month, Microsoft published an idea for a smartphone case with a secondary display and keyboard. The company has built a prototype of the Lumia 640 with a low-power, high-resolution eInk display connected via Bluetooth to provide additional information for applications.

A Chinese company called Nubia "previously affiliated with ZTE" will launch its new Nubia X phone, which contains two screens, a front screen and a back screen dedicated to capturing selfies with the back camera that is much better than the front. It is also equipped with two fingerprints on the side of the phone.

The phone looks elegant, and its implementation is relatively easy. Unfortunately, this phone is expected to be restricted to the Chinese only.

Another Australian phone model that is very similar to the concept of the Nubia X phone called DigiCase is a back cover for the phone with an LCD screen that gives your phone the ability to do more operations. Not only that, but this case contains a 2000 mAh battery that gives the phone a longer time.

Why won't foldable phones and dual screen phones popular?

As we mentioned in theory, foldable and dual screens are an amazing technology. However, it will not meet users' expectations for several reasons, including:

the cost

It is known to everyone that phones with these specifications will not be affordable for everyone. It is reported that the Samsung foldable phone will cost approximately $ 2000! Therefore, all prices for that category will be similar in price.

Battery life

The smartphone screen is the main component that consumes the battery, unlike other components. Thus, companies will have to double the size of the battery, which will make the phone thicker. And the presence of another phone screen will exacerbate the battery problem. And you will find many tips to preserve the battery, the most important of which is not to turn on the second screen, and not to spread the foldable screen! Because that consumes a lot of energy, and so on.

Screen damage

Certainly, folding the screen or bending it and spreading it multiple times over time will weaken its life and damage, especially at the point of bending. We all know that “steel is damaged from repeated bending, let alone the screen,” and thus you are exposed to losing an expensive device. The same as with the FlexPai screen, which wraps around the device from the outside, exposing it to damage faster.

The sleek design

I will not say the ugly design, but at first glance when many people saw these phones they did not feel any kind of excitement or dazzle, and many said: What is this nonsense? Even the Nubia X, which has a sleek standard design, comes with a low-resolution background, which is not what it should be.

Volume and mass

Apple, for example, continues to slim its phones, making them lighter and thinner generation after generation. Unfortunately, flexible and dual screens work otherwise. Flexible screens do not fold like paper but rather with a round gap at the point of bending. Inevitably, the phone will be several times thicker than standard smartphones. FlexPai, for example, does not fit into a pocket. The whole point is that the phone fits in the pockets.

No apps

Flexible phones seem to require a dedicated operating system, as well as dedicated apps to take full advantage of the screens. Given the small sales volume of these phones based on their high price, the number of applications supporting them will be very small.

Better alternatives

There are multiple alternatives available to make the mobile screen bigger. Like tablets, they are affordable. Also connect phones to televisions and projectors. As well as phablet devices with large screens. For a high-resolution selfie, it is sufficient to upgrade the front cameras instead of having a back screen.

last word

There is no doubt that over the next few years “if we are to survive” we will see different models of these phones. But will the companies present a foldable or dual screen phone in a convincing way that we are all satisfied with? Will technologies develop in a way that saves energy, reduces costs, and persuades companies and developers to provide applications? Or will dual-screen phones die, and foldable phones will be folded not in long time?

What do you think of a foldable phone as presented by the aforementioned companies? Are you excited about it? Let us know in the comments.

Source:

ComputerWorld

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