The biggest barrier to the widespread adoption of phones with these new designs is their high price. Samsung’s first foldable phone was launched in 2019 for $ 1,980. Last year’s Z Flip cost $ 1,380, and Microsoft’s Surface Duo sells for $ 1,400. However, these technologies will start to become a little more accessible this year, according to industry analyst Patrick Moorhead, founder and president of Moor Insights & Strategy.
“There is a question of price. I see it dropping this year, ”said Moorhead. “If there could be any penetration price done to bring the entry level to $ 1,000, it would start to generate considerable volume.” Moorhead also expects to see more of these foldable designs at the Mobile World Congress trade show in June. (MWC usually takes place in late February in Barcelona, but the show was postponed to June due to the Covid-19 pandemic.)
Another barrier is reliability. Currently, most of the latest generation single screen phones have durable glass protecting the screen, along with an IP68 water resistance rating that protects it from accidental submersion in water. Even so, the Galaxy Fold 2019 was damaged after dust particles entered the hinge of the foldable phone, which led to a delay in launch and forced Samsung to adjust the hinge mechanism. It was an embarrassing stumble, but things have evolved a lot in a year.
“When Lenovo launched Yoga, it took years for the industry to improve on things like hinges,” says Moorhead. “We even saw changes from year to year with Samsung when the second version of Fold used a brush mechanism, while the previous version used a traditional hinge. This may not seem like much, but in the world of mechanical engineering, it is huge. “
This brush mechanism sweeps the interior of the hinge whenever the phone is opened or closed and helps prevent debris from penetrating the internal components of the Fold 2. Moorhead expects this year’s folding phones to have the same levels of durability that we expect from rectangular plate designs. Streit echoed Moorhead’s sentiments and pointed out that mechanical engineering is playing an increasingly important role in smartphone design. “This industry has not needed many moving parts in the past 10 years,” he says. “The roll-up needs to be a very good mechanical experience that prevents dirt from entering.”
TCL says it plans to launch a foldable or roll-up phone in 2021, and LG has confirmed to the Nikkei that the LG Rollable will be on sale this year. None of this is to say that the traditional single-screen phone experience will disappear anytime soon. After all, Streit notes that people still buy flip phones today. He also says that these new display technologies are “a long-term strategy” for TCL.
Let the good time roll
The design of the LG mobile phone was briefly presented during the CES press conference. We hope to hear more about it later this year.
Video: LGWe should expect that the first wave of devices with these new rotating screens will not attempt to incorporate many new features. Otherwise, phone manufacturers are at risk of overwhelming consumers who are used to traditional smartphone designs.