Flipping heck: Footage leaks of Samsung's upcoming bendy smartphone in action

It's a matter of days until Samsung unveils its latest lineup, and already leakers have got their hands on footage of its latest flexible mobe in all its bendy glory. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip - First Hands On Video pic.twitter.com/4b8Uzt5kRB — Ben Geskin (@BenGeskin) February 2, 2020 The footage was posted by a Latvia-based …

[G R Goslin]

Where's the advantage?

I can't, for the like of me see any advantage of this phone over the conventional. Disadvantages by the score, I can. The only reason for it's being brought out, as far as I can see is to drag cash from the pockets of those with more money than sense. It's unwieldy, delicate, badly proportioned open or closed, thick, and from the video is going to need a conjuror to open it single handed, and three hands to do anything meaningful with it. Like the plate sized fablet, you'd have to use it behind a curtain to avoid the raucous laughter.

[John Robson]

Re: Where's the advantage?

If the fold was perfect then I could see the attraction, although with screen protecters as good as they are, probably not.

I liked flip phones... I still wish that a couple of manufacturers would go back to the days of having a flip phone that did that well (physical buttons, and a simple screen) and acted as a modem for a tablet.

I operated in that mode for several years, but apparently wanting the option of taking a simple phone with me is completely heretical (how will they track my every thought if I have to have real conversations?)

[blt_deluxe]

Re: Where's the advantage?

I love my unihertz atom for exactly that use case but if you wanted a physical keyboard too check out the unihertz titan.

[Charlie Clark]

Re: Where's the advantage?

A friend of mine has an ageing Samsung clamshell which he uses for calls and a small tablet for computery stuff so you're obviously not alone.

[NeilPost]

Re: Where's the advantage?

It’s an answer to a question no-one is really asking and will be a dead-end akin to 3D TV’s when what people wanted was Smart TV’s with streaming apps and WiFi.

If you must have a flip phone, have a great durable hinge and dual screens - like most recent Gameboy’a - and avoid the expensive technical whizzery of a foldable LCD that brings almost nothing. Keep it simple stupid.

... or if you want a small pocketable phone the now finally likely inbound iPhone SE/2 or similar petite Android.

[EBG]

Re: Where's the advantage?

Fully agree. Did similar and miss this option.

[Malcolm 1]

Re: Where's the advantage?

The large size of modern phones is a significant deterrent if you want to keep it in your pocket. It's probably still tolerable if you are wearing typical male clothing, but most female clothing has ridiculously small pockets, if any. In the absence of smaller phones (like the Sony Xperia Compacts of old), this is probably the next best thing (apart from the fashion industry recognising this discrepancy and correcting)

[NeilPost]

Re: Where's the advantage?

Why the iPhone SE was so popular.

The now seeming fiiiiiiiinally on it’s way SE2 based on iPhone 8 form factor is still eminently pocketable form for both sexes.

[katrinab]

Re: Where's the advantage?

Have you seen women's pockets?

You'd struggle to fit an apple pencil in most of them, never mind a phone of any description.

[DrXym]

Re: Where's the advantage?

The very slight advantage is the phone is a little bit smaller. The very major disadvantage is the phone costs a fortune and the screen is scratchy, bendy, warpy shit that is liable to be destroyed in no time if you treat it like a normal phone.

[Anonymous Coward]

Is there a video link for those of us who have Twitter blocked at work?

[Phil Kingston]

Can save you the hassle - 15 seconds of someone opening a clamshell phone and shutting it again.

[Charlie Clark]

Lucky you!

[redpawn]

I thought it was a hip flask...

Then I was disappointed.

[GruntyMcPugh]

Re: I thought it was a hip flask...

@redpawn

it's definitely not as hip as they think it is.

[Kane]

For some reason...

...I'm reminded of the Gameboy Advance SP.

[Duffy Moon]

Re: For some reason...

I'm reminded of Lady Penelope's powder compact phone...but squarer.

[Anonymous Coward]

So it starts off overly large and then folds out into a gargantuan monstrosity that could derail a train?

[Big_Boomer]

Meh

Yet another bling bling for the terminally gullible. NEXT!

[BGatez]

What desperation smells like. OTOH to paraphrase "No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of ..."

[Wenlocke]

A little bird (well, an unusually helpful vodafone support bod) tells me that, at the very least, Voda are also getting this later on in the month (preorders at the end of the month, apparently)

YMMV on whether you believe them or not.