Foldable phones are on the rise. The first foldable phones from Samsung and Huawei have already been presented, and also the Royale FlexPai from the Chinese brand Royale has recently been introduced. It may be some time before the foldable phones are available to the general public. This is mainly due to the technical defects that still need to be resolved and the price. It is still much too high for the masses. What is certain is that this new generation of phones will ensure that we will use smartphones very differently. What does this generation of foldable phones mean for the future of apps?
Advance of foldable phones
2019 will be the year of foldable smartphones according to it Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. At the Mobile World Congress (MWC), Oppo and Huawai introduced the first foldable phones (aka, foldables /fold-fashioned smartphones). The week before, Samsung introduced the Galaxy Fold for a 'mere' 1999 euros.
Foldable phones vs. regular phones
According to the smartphone giants (logical) this new generation of phones is going to completely change the way we use smartphones. The tech experts agree with this view. "If you have a phone with you that you can easily fold out to a larger screen as a tablet, then that is very interesting for consumers," said Francisco Jeronimo, analyst market researcher IDC. Tech reporter Bram van Dijk from Bright also speaks highly of the foldable gadgets. The large screen in particular offers many advantages, 'instead of typing an email with two hands on a small screen, such a large screen works much better'.
This new generation of telephones is expected to make it easier for us to use digital content. This offers many possibilities, such as streaming movies and live events such as concerts or competitions. Because foldable phones offer more space to view content, these apps become a lot more attractive and diverse.
Fact: Huawei's Mate X currently sets the record as the most expensive smartphone with a price of 2299 euros. This record was held by Samsung for a week, which introduced the Galaxy Fold for 2000 euros.
Longer phone screens
The future of foldable smartphones is unfolding, but literally. Less than two years ago, almost all phones still had a 16:9 screen. But when reducing the bezels (in this context also; 'page border', not to venture further into the fierce discussion between the bezel and page border fanatics), the stretch is out. Nowadays, most smartphones have a screen of at least 18:9 or longer. Besides the fact that there is more space to view content, a disadvantage can be that the phone is no longer easy to use in one hand and the top of the screen feels distant. But we will not elaborate on that in this article.
In addition to the extra large screen to show content and apps, the foldable aspect also offers perspective. Because screens are now foldable, there is actually no longer a standard shape for a smartphone or device. Developers therefore pull out all the stops with innovative designs. The Verge must have taken the liberty of coming up with numerous variations on the foldable smartphones and has also given them catchy names. Our favorites are theFlip Phone' and the 'Bracelet Phone'. Very handy if you don't have any pockets for a while and you still want to watch a Youtube video during your running session.
How will this new generation of foldable devices affect apps?
The future of new apps is colorful with the arrival of these foldable phones and devices. However, it is not self-evident that apps that have already been developed will also work well on these new foldable devices. The app will have to be tested on the larger screens, and probably made compatible. Many smartphone or tablet apps are currently designed with a responsive or adaptive design. Because there will soon be many more interactive screen sizes with the new foldable phones, this will have to be optimized. Foldable devices make it possible to arrange the content visually with the available space. This is similar to the interface of a smartphone versus that of a tablet. Now there is a certain difference in the UX and UI between the two. With the advent of foldable phones and devices, this difference will become smaller. This becomes especially clear when you watch the video below.
Conclusion
The arrival of this new generation of foldable phones certainly brings opportunities. The large screen in particular offers advantages for apps in terms of screen optimization and optimal user design. It is expected that many existing apps will first have to be made compatible for the new devices. Wondering if your app still works on these foldable devices? Contact us without obligation and we will be happy to advise you.
