cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/46649349

I’m saving up for a new phone and I’m thinking of getting a foldable one.
Are they really as good/bad as people say they are?

The one I had in mind was the Pixel Fold.

  • aesthelete@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    I like it a lot but I have a clamshell. I don’t understand the purpose of the other form factors. It really isn’t much different from other phones after a while, except you forget about how nobody else’s phone closes or fits in their pocket.

    I occasionally get remarks about it like “your phone is cool” but literally forget that other people are stuck with the traditional candy bar style.

    • moonlight@fedia.io
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      2 days ago

      Interesting, I always thought that was the pointless form factor. I guess I could see it being nice if you have really shallow pockets, although it seems like it would be uncomfortably thick compared to a normal phone when closed.

      With the fold style, (especially trifold) It turns into a tablet you can carry in your pocket. Which would be worth it if it wasn’t fragile and twice the price of a phone + tablet.

      • aesthelete@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        Phablet style phones don’t fit comfortably in any pants I’ve ever worn. I think phones almost, mostly fit up to 5" or so, but most phones are much larger.

        The razr when folded is probably less thick than a normal bifold wallet and is half the size of a candy bar phone. It fits closed in every pair of pants i own including pajama pants.

        • IronKrill@lemmy.ca
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          17 hours ago

          Sounds like it might be a women’s clothing fit thing. I’ve tried those jeans and the pockets always are 4" deep. All my men’s pants fit my 6" phone with a case on it except for one that’s a bit tight if you bend your leg.

          • aesthelete@lemmy.world
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            17 hours ago

            Nope, I’m a dude. It also wasn’t that it didn’t fit at all. It just didn’t fit comfortably (in jeans). In PJ pants they stuck out the top of the pocket loosely and I had more than one phone flop out onto the ground while I was walking my dog.

        • moonlight@fedia.io
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          2 days ago

          I think it depends a lot on the style and size of pants, and it’s just a personal preference.

          While I prefer smaller phones for how they feel in the hand, all of my pants could easily fit a phone 7" or larger. But if normal phones don’t fit in your pockets, then a folding phone makes sense.

          Also personally I’m the sort of person who dislikes how bulky traditional wallets are, and I’m bothered by my earbuds case. But point taken that a folding phone still isn’t very thick generally.

          • aesthelete@lemmy.world
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            2 days ago

            I have a slim wallet myself. It’s not just bulky phones I hate carrying around. I have a keychain that allows me to drop portions of my keys when I don’t need something. I like traveling light.

            Phablets being in style at the same time as slim fit jeans felt like some kind of special curse from hell.

            Another thing I like about the model year razr i bought is that it has only a small display on the outside. I can close the clamshell and disconnect from online junk for a while.

    • XeroxCool@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      I believe the proper use cases for the candy bar folds are 2 groups: data-dense users that wish Blackberries and Palm Pilots stuck around or, alternatively, people with poor eyesight. I don’t think video consumption is the main use. Maybe Candy Crush XL or something though