Look at my new phone!
Image
Huawei unveils new trifold smartphone before Apple’s iPhone 17 reveal
Submitted 3 weeks ago by Domino@quokk.au to technology@lemmy.world
Comments
toiletobserver@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
humanoidchaos@lemmy.cif.su 2 weeks ago
That’s literally the audience these “boutique” phones are for.
trey_a_12@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Honestly, if I could get a phone that unfolds to a tablet size like that + Desktop Mode, I’d combine it with a portable keyboard and trackpad combo and be perfectly happy using that as my laptop solution. One cellular plan, large screen, and super portable too, not to mention phone controllers like the GameSir and Backbone for when I want something more gaming handheld-esque, Linux ARM64 virtual machines, and more!
realitista@piefed.world 3 weeks ago
It would be nice if one of the folds could be left folded at the bottom to give you a keyboard.
trey_a_12@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Exactly. Think the iPad Smart Connector, and even better with a Magic Keyboard-type hinge that could hold the device up when you didn’t need a folio-type stand
bluGill@fedia.io 3 weeks ago
Not really - keyboards need to be much farther from the screen than that. Laptops are terrible for the same reason. Maybe your body can accept that bad ergonomics, but mine cannot. which is why I carry a separate keyboard for my laptop and phone. (plus mechanical keyboards are much better anyway)
trey_a_12@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Think about the current dual-screen laptops. That would be cool, but I’m not sure how usable a keyboard of those dimensions would be. Not discrediting the idea, though; I’d love to see it too.
Side note – imagine a fold-out accessory like the Mcon controller but thinner and lighter. That could make for a cool keyboard, no?
humanoidchaos@lemmy.cif.su 2 weeks ago
Bro just use a laptop.
trey_a_12@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Meanwhile sometime in 2007: ”Dude, have you seen that new iPhone thing? So cool; imagine being able to have one device that could do it all! Even if it’s not the absolute best at all of those, it’s only a matter of time before it progresses! What do you think?”
Other dude: “Bro just use an iPod, a phone, and an internet dommubicator”
dilroopgill@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I just want a phone that can fold out for reading comics, sounds pretty nice, only reason I bought a tablet was the constant zooming required, I forget to bring my tablet places constantly or just don’t want to because its another thing to carry around
TeddE@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I personally am waiting for the OLED handkerchief.
janus2@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
janus2@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
grrgyle@slrpnk.net 2 weeks ago
By siblings, there are stockpiles of refurbs to last us until the end of capitalism or life on earth.
I’m using a 9 year old phone rn now and I’ve got zoomers oooing over its “minimal” design (lol it’s just old).
Clent@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 weeks ago
Fuck everything, we’re doing five folds!
Domino@quokk.au 3 weeks ago
Oaksey@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Well we are up to 7 blade razors!
echodot@feddit.uk 3 weeks ago
Why is the fact that it’s before the iPhone 17s reveal important it’s not like the iPhone 17 is a folding phone all that Apple have a folding iPhone at all.
MirthfulAlembic@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
It is because Apple has been dominant in the premium smartphone market for years, including in China. Huawei have started to make a big dent in that tier in China after eating Apple’s lunch in the lower price categories.
This is a feature that Huawei brought to market before Apple, which was kind of a first. Until recently, they were just following Apple’s innovations. It’s early and I wouldn’t want one now, but I wouldn’t be surprised if smartphones-that-fold-out-into-tablets was the standard by the end of the decade.
echodot@feddit.uk 2 weeks ago
Samsung have been eating apple’s lunch for years. In terms of market share Samsung basically have all the wrong way.
commander@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
It’d be good for comic ebooks, PDFs, documents. Pretty much stuff you’d use with a tablet. I see the appeal of a one device covers it all. Phone, tablet, if it had a solid desktop mode, office productivity. Don’t have faith in these mobile first OSs to do it all well though
SoftestSapphic@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Lol whyyy
SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 3 weeks ago
so we can play MIDI accordian songs. Who doesn’t love that.
ZombieMantis@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Finally, someone understands 🪗
SoftestSapphic@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I’ve only ever heard about these folding screens breaking super easy and fast.
Unless the tech is better now it feels like planned obsolescence
humanoidchaos@lemmy.cif.su 2 weeks ago
🤑
Most of the useful idiots complaining about not having enough waste their money on dumb shit like this, or they’re defending someone else who is.
Fredthefishlord@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 weeks ago
Who needs or wants this. The use is quite limited. One fold, alright, but 3??
lime@feddit.nu 3 weeks ago
i’m the opposite way. i see no use for a phone that folds in half. i like my phones to be usable one-handed, and having a clamshell shape that folds out into something i can’t reach my thumb over is just dumb. but if i can have a normalish candybar phone that unfolds into a whole-ass tablet in my pocket? absolutely.
CosmoNova@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Eventually they‘ll go full circle (literally) and go back to scrolls.
Dudewitbow@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
the only advantage i can think of is to maintain more traditional tablet aspect ratios. single fold phones tend to have a very square screen when opened.
tidderuuf@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
I’ll be releasing 15 fold shortly, hold on to yo butts!
SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 3 weeks ago
I see you three and raise you seven.
Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
As long as it wasn’t too cumbersome as a phone, the option to have a full on tablet that could fit in your pocket is somewhat attractive. I don’t have much use for a phone that folds into a bigger phone (current foldable market), but if this was done right I could see some appeal.
Sxan@piefed.zip 3 weeks ago
Þe way it folds, when closed you get one exposed screen, so it's like a normal phone form factor (alþough, it looks pretty long to me). When open, it's a tablet wiþ a bigger, more normal-sized, tablet screen þan þe truncated bifolds.
Apparently, enough people want foldables þat Apple decided to release one - or were you asking why anyone would want a larger screen?
salty_chief@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Employer: “Why are you late again?”
Employee: “Sorry, I had to unfold my phone a few times this morning. It will happen again.”
carl_dungeon@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
That looks really hard to hold.
Sxan@piefed.zip 3 weeks ago
I was just reading today about a different, upcoming, Huawei foldable. Apparently, it uses þe same "falcon hinge" þis one does, and it sort of locks open and closed. If it works as well as þe reviewer said it does, it shouldn't be any harder to hold þan a tablet.
MegaUltraChicken@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
þis one
Holy shit did that character break my brain for a second.
brucethemoose@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Honestly the iPhone performance is over rated now.
I just came from an Android 9 Razer Phone 2 (with an ancient SD845) to a brand new iPhone 16 plus…
And it feels slower.
The UI is slower and more stuttery. Heavy webpages that ran fine on my Android phone crawl on the iPhone. It literally has the same amount of RAM (8GB), so it can’t run anything more complex either.
boonhet@sopuli.xyz 2 weeks ago
You went from a 120 Hz display to 60 Hz, literally half the speed. Could’ve gone 13 Pro or Pro Max and had a better experience. Yeah, it sucks. Apple really gimps their non-pro models with displays. The Plus is just a base iPhone but bigger.
MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
Please pack a keyboard on the back of the lowest third.
BlackAura@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
This guy did just that:
Thought it was a really cool idea / project. Essentially a modified Z Flip.
MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
I admit i had to stop watching after 5 minutes. Do kids like videos cut confusingly and …hyperactive like this one nowadays?
SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 3 weeks ago
meh…I just bought a Samsung Flip 7 and it’s great. Apple will invent it next year.
unphazed@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
It’s slated for invention in 2031. Gotta stick to the 6 year rule. Can’t be too blatant about IP theft.
jaykrown@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Looks stupid, I’d much prefer a more powerful tablet that’s cheaper. Gimmick.
KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
While I get the sentiment, you can’t really fit a tablet in most pockets. While a tri fold phone would fit just fine.
This isn’t for situations where a more powerful device is needed. Power doesn’t matter when watching a video, or reading a book, or scrolling the internet. Sometimes you just need more screen.
I may be an outlier on Lemmy, but I explicitly want a decent trifold device. Specifically for the situations I listed. I’m not looking to use the tablet “mode” for performance hungry tasks, I just want more screen sometimes.
UltraBlack@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Wasn’t their last folding phone super fragile
humanoidchaos@lemmy.cif.su 2 weeks ago
I saw an 85" Samsung TV for $1000 at walmart today.
Kinda crazy (stupid) how people spend that much on a fucking phone.
GreenShimada@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
The cost of that TV is heavily subsidized on the expectation that you connect it to the internet and it feeds Samsung data on you.
humanoidchaos@lemmy.cif.su 2 weeks ago
Just don’t do that?
The same argument could be made for their phones.
jj4211@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Whole that may be somewhat true, I don’t think the magnitude of that expectation is that huge.
poopkins@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I saw a Pixel 10 Pro with 128 GB storage online today.
Kinda crazy (stupid) how people spend that much on a fucking TV.
wabafee@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Year 2026, Huawei releases 4 folds smartphone! You can now watch 4 gooner videos at the SAME TIME! BUT wait there is more if you RESERVE NOW you get a Huawei’s smart watch f2 now has TWO FOLDS! Imagine the possibilities!
TwinTitans@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Yuk
ScrotusMaximus@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
Comes out to $2,250 USD in China for the 256gb model. $3,500 USD in Malaysia for the 1tb model ($15,000 MYR).
hubobes@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Weird idea to put part of the foldable screen on the outside of the phone. Classic foldables at least protect their sensitive screen when closed.
nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
looks like shit fuck you
napkin2020@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
More like before Samsung’s trifold.
dan69@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
At this point I’d try tri fold before it’s time for 5sided
ABetterTomorrow@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
Seems a bit much and I’ll wait till they flush it out to test it out in the stores. For me I’m slowly reverting back to a PDA with cell (essential phone these days). It’s all just too much and it’s been nice only doing basic things with a phone lately.
ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net 3 weeks ago
Hey, if we’re doing quirky pones only 1% of users will ever consider buying again can you bring back hardware keyboards please?
SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
“nah, you cunts had your chance” -Blackberry.
umbrella@lemmy.ml 2 weeks ago
humanoidchaos@lemmy.cif.su 2 weeks ago
I thought capitalism was supposed to provide options.
I was literally fed propaganda in American Public School about a “study” where capitalists chose what kind of soda they wanted, while communists just said “yes or no” because they viewed it all as just “soda.”
I’m starting to realize just how stupid the average idiot american is. Being raised and told you’re from the greatest country ever is deadly.
ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net 2 weeks ago
Good news! EU pass the law they have to be back in 2027 (IIRC)!
BlackAura@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
This was an interesting video / project I quite enjoyed.
youtu.be/qy_9w_c2ub0
Psythik@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
For those with ADHD or just don’t have the time to watch:
He bought a Samsung Flip with a broken inner screen, removed the screen and split the phone in half, and turned it into a modern take on a slide phone.
To do so, he 3D printed a custom mold to replace the bottom half of the phone, and then shoved a Blackberry keyboard into it. Designed a custom hinge so that instead of flipping the phone open, you slide the keyboard out from behind and it drops below the cover screen—which is now the main screen—because he used a 3rd party launcher to make it behave as such. That way the phone is fully functional without the inner screen.
The only thing he didn’t do (nor did he attempt to), is figure out a way to move one or both of the cameras. Since the phone no longer flips open, the two main cameras are now both selfie cameras and their is no main camera(s).
tungah@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Yes, please and thank you.