Foldable phones are an interesting anomaly in recent technological development. The traditional flip phone eventually gave way to the large-screened smartphone, but now the smartphones have veered in the direction of folding. There is a considerable amount of excitement about these devices in some circles, but issues with pricing and fragility have kept them from going too mainstream yet. However, there are some arguments in favor of them that we want to examine today.
The early foldable phones were a bit too costly and rife with hardware issues to be viable for business purposes, sporting fragile frames, screens falling off the chassis, or hinges that were distractingly noisy. These days, manufacturers seem to have learned from these early mistakes and have made devices on the sturdier side.
Manufacturers are taking advantage of the form factor for these devices, which is something that has allowed them to accomplish two major different types of devices. Each of them have different fanbases, something which has led to manufacturers to either side with one or the other, or embrace offering even more types of designs.
First, there’s the traditional clamshell style mobile device that allows for greater portability and affordability. Then, we also have foldables that open up like a book, allowing for more productivity through multitasking and a bigger screen surface.
Of course, any technology will have flaws, but these improvements have made foldable devices significantly less so. There are still issues with design, and many are worried about whether they will be repairable. Furthermore, it’s not clear just how many developers will develop apps that effectively utilize the additional screen space afforded by foldable devices.
While the future is unpredictable for foldable devices, they could still be interesting investments that a business could implement, provided they do their research and make appropriate use of them.
There are certain benefits that come from foldable smartphones, like the increased screen real estate that allows users to be more productive. Additionally, this same screen space can make for less awkward video conferencing, since you can simply set the phone down in front of you rather than holding it up to your face. Collaboration is also likely to play an important part in making this determination, especially with mobile developers trying to get their productivity apps as close as they can to the desktop versions of these same apps.
Still, everyone has specific needs, and foldable smartphones might not address the ones that you need them to. We recommend that you consider them, but only deploy them if you feel like they can enrich your operations.
Before committing to any technology investment, consider contacting First Column IT! Our technicians can give you the unbiased opinions you need to make the best and most practical decisions possible. Learn more by calling us today at (571) 470-5594.
