The Beginning 

As a result of the growing desire for thinner and thinner phones, with bigger and bigger screens an idea was born. The idea of a smartphone that could fold in half is a bold one, requiring an unprecedented amount of research and development.  The company pioneering this new technology is Samsung, who first teased the idea of their folding phone at a conference it holds for developers. In February of this year, at another Samsung event, the phone was described in more detail and demonstrated to the audience. The device was named the Galaxy Fold and was scheduled to release on April 26th. As it always has, new technology comes with a hefty price tag. The Galaxy Fold was supposed to cost $1,980 on release, making it one of the most expensive phones on the market. This price would have been warranted had it worked. 

Issues 

Just weeks before the planned release, Samsung gave members of the media a chance to use and review it. The initial reviews were very positive. However, four of the twelve test samples given to media outlets outright failed within days. These were not test versions, but the final version that was going to be released to consumers for $1,980. Just a few days after the media samples were falling apart, Samsung officially delayed the phone. The phone was eventually released in September, but users are still experiencing issues with the screen. 

Technology 

After reading this, you might be hesitant to go out and buy a Samsung Fold.  But the real question here is why Apple has not released a phone with the new technology. A common complaint among Apple users in the past couple of years is that the iPhone has not changed a lot. The last major change in the iPhone was back in 2017 when the iPhone X was released without a home button. Apple did file a patent for a folding phone however we do not know if they are going to pursue it for their future iPhones. 

Conclusion/Future 

What can be taken from this? For one, you should understand that buying new technology on day one could mean that you experience some issues with it. It’s not easy for a company to develop and release a new technology perfectly on day one. The future for folding screens is uncertain. They may be everywhere in a few years or they may never catch on. However, what we know is that technology will continue to move forward. Should you buy a new folding phone? That’s up to you but if I were you, I would wait a while because it could always go the way of the google glass.