Is the folding smartphone a real breakthrough or the return of "3D TV"?

Samsung opened an online event on August 11th, announcing two high-end smartphones, two stylish smartwatches, and colorful gummy-like wireless earphones. It can't be helped if you miss this announcement. In this turbulent era, some may say that they can't afford the smartphone announcement event.

But Samsung is still focusing on the announcement event. The electronics giant is also one of the world's largest smartphone makers. And I sincerely hope that consumers will still be interested in the smartphone announcement event.

So Samsung is trying to show that there is only one way for technology to go. Think carefully about how your new smartphone, preferably a foldable smartphone, fits into your life. That's why Samsung designed the new model to fit in a trouser pocket, as if twisting the laws of mechanical engineering.

Further evolved folding model

Let's introduce two new folding smartphone models again. The "Galaxy Z Fold 3" and "Galaxy Z Flip 3" were announced at the online event on August 11th. The Fold 3 opens horizontally like a book, and the Flip 3 opens and closes vertically like a nostalgic folding cell phone.

You might say that you hate gadgets that folding smartphones are nothing new. That's justified, but the innovation of Samsung's folding smartphones lies in the display. A layer of flexible carbon fiber reinforced polymer unfolds when you want to see a large screen, and closes in a pattern otherwise. It's a trick that the iPhone can't do.

The latest model of Samsung's foldable smartphone is even more sophisticated than its predecessor (the company first launched the foldable model in 2019, which took a long time to develop). Still, the folding model can still be said to be the "3D TV in the world of smartphones." It is a product created with the intention of attracting new consumer attention when the market is stagnant.

It is technically advanced and expensive. And the usability of a product depends entirely on how the content is projected there. Therefore, no matter how much the maker gathers the best of technology to create a product, there is no choice but to wait until software companies and entertainment companies create content that fits these futuristic screens.

None of these features are good news for the future of folding smartphones. But some analysts are optimistic.

The most Samsung-like smartphone

Samsung has now achieved spectacular results with new hardware. After all, the first "Galaxy Fold" was delayed in release due to a display defect, the re-released product felt thick, and every time it opened and closed, it made a sound like arthritis.

Released in the first half of 2020, the "Galaxy Z Flip" is Fold's fun and advanced "younger brother." It opens and closes up and down like the mobile phone "Razr" that Motorola once sold (by the way, Razr has also been revived as a folding smartphone), and it was equipped with a new display that is durable against scratches.