If You Are Buying A Foldable Screen Phone In 2019, You Are Actually Wasting Your Money

As a gadget, the smartphone is trying hard to get smarter this year. Getting a bit too over-smart even, if I may say so myself.

Apart from the first wave of 5G ready phones launching throughout 2019, some of the world's first consumer-ready flexible screen phones are also debuting this year. In fact, the FlexPai, Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X had already been announced by February. There's a good chance more announcements will follow later in the year.

Foldable or bendable screen smartphones have definitely captured everyone's attention -- they're innovative, offer something new in terms of design and re-imagine what smartphones can do. But I have some concerns.

Huawei Mate X unfolded in tablet mode

1) Easy to break

As they exist right now, smartphones don't have any major moving parts -- no slide-out keyboards, no pull-out antenna, no rows of buttons or keys. They aren't like laptops, where two halves are held together by two or more hinges, that open and close like a door. But sadly they are, now with foldable screen phones.

Almost all foldable screen smartphones announced till now introduce a hinge into the smartphone design -- take a look at the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X. Practically, it's also introducing a structural weakness into the design -- giving the phone an added reason to break. Is that wise? I don't think so. I would love to be wrong, but it's the same reason I'm not a big fan of pop-out selfie camera phones right now.

ALSO READ: Huawei Mate X: Huawei's Foldable 5G Phone Is Unique, But Is It Better Than Samsung Galaxy Fold?

Samsung Galaxy Fold in phone mode

2) Thick design

The Samsung Galaxy Fold in folded mode definitely looks like a thick smartphone. The Huawei Mate X is a bit slimmer than the Samsung Galaxy Fold, but still twice as thick compared to when it's unfolded. You'll definitely hold and use foldable screen phones more in phone mode than wide tablet mode. Which means they'll be thicker -- thicker even than most phones launched last year. Who wants that? Maybe this will be sorted out over time, but right now it's a problem.

3) Lack of customized apps

Foldable screen smartphones in 2019 will struggle with software customizations. The manufacturers will offer some apps that work flawlessly in both folded smartphone and unfolded tablet mode, but what about the larger Android ecosystem of apps? You won't have a lot of third-party developers fine-tuning their apps for a foldable screen smartphone immediately from the get go. It will take time.

ALSO READ: Here Are Some Of The Biggest 5G Smartphone Launches For This Year Announced At MWC 2019

FlexPai foldable screen phone

4) Expensive

Foldable screen smartphones are novelty items in 2019, and will be priced accordingly. Expensive. Just look at the price tags of the Samsung Galaxy Fold (Rs 1.4 lakh) and Huawei Mate X (Rs 1.9 lakh) -- they make the iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max seem cheap in comparison. Foldable screen smartphones will be ultra premium offerings -- definitely not for everyone, at least for this year.

So yeah, foldable screen smartphones are great in their intent but lack in execution right now. It's still early days, and it will take time for them to refine. So until then, maybe take a pass on the foldable screen smartphone brigade.