Why Samsung And Motorola Are Bringing Back Foldable Phones

Folding phones are back. Samsung has the infamous Galaxy Fold and new Galaxy Z Flip, Motorola has its retro Razr, and there are plenty of other phones on the market. But what is so great about folding phones that these companies feel the need to bring back this form factor? CNBC’s Todd Haselton, YouTuber Zack Nelson and analyst Patrick Moorhead weigh in on this new take on a classic design.

emember how satisfying it was to flick your old Motorola Razr open, or how pocketable it was? Well, the best assets from flip phones are making a comeback in smartphones. Samsung brought folding phones to the U.S. in 2019 with the Galaxy Fold, and Motorola followed suit with its 2020 revamped version of the classic Razr. Samsung now has a second folding phone in its lineup, the Galaxy Z Flip.

Companies like Royole, Huawei and Xiaomi all have folding smartphones available or in the pipeline.

So why has the smartphone industry brought this form factor back from the dead? And at a price point well over $1000, with few models holding up to durability tests, who are these phones really for?


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Why Samsung And Motorola Are Bringing Back Foldable Phones

[timo]

I think I’ll wait a few years when all companies have one and the prices become more reasonable.

[maythesciencebewithyou]

"It's hard to make profits on smartphones" sure buddy, we all know that's why Apple is so poor.

[Farhan-xurr]

“Glass, is glass, and glass breaks.”
Samsung: No
Jerry: Yes

[TahtahmesDiary]

I remember people at the launch of one of these having practically immediate issues with the folding part of the phone cracking and other issues, so I'm going to wait a few years until they perfect it. I'm too poor to be a guinea pig.

[muskreality]

2025: Why non folding phones are making a comeback

[tzwacdastag]

When tech companies can't just innovate much they some time takes inspiration from history

[nemesiszz]

but all phones will *"scratch at level 6 with deeper grooves at level 7"*
diff in plastic displays though!

[CoordinatedCarry]

“I’m sorry, I am not going to scratch my phone with keys or a coin.”
Yeah, but your kids might.

[lin.yiming]

2000:Nokia phones
2007:Touch screen
2010:Apple gets famous
2018:Face recognition
2020:Foldable phones

Phones ARE Really evolving, wow.

[meosh]

This video is basically a reaction video of Zack's durability test video.

[ManishSingh-wley]

They have already reached at top of innovation that's why they are trying to take inspiration from past

[kppp]

7:19 My middle class Indian brain hastily trying to calculate 1500*70 = Rs 105, 000 and then totally freaking out

[annwiese]

JERRY IS IN THIS VIDEO, MY LIFE IS COMPLETE

[permacultureecuador]

wireless headphones were already a thing.
Apple didnt invent any wheel there, they just forced you to buy 150$ headphones for your 1200$ smartphone that used to be included with your 500$ smartphone for free...

[ГеннадийКап]

In a year, the new smartphone becomes old ... Why spend a lot of money now, if in a year I buy the same smartphone, but half the price?

[mpch]

No, because I don’t want to flip it, sliding it is more satisfying

[MrFinny]

More pocketable? Okay now you have a thick brick in your pocket that will bulge way more than a regular phone.

[bablooskumar]

2020 - world's first foldable phone
2050 - wanna buy world's first scrapable phone????

[Xstevenn]

“Like Woah, that’s cool”

Oh right that’s because it’s really profitable.

[dennisp]

This is getting pretty sci Fi esk. It's actually nuts how far technology keeps going. I say give it another few years and foldable phones will actually be pretty reliable and common place.