Foldable phones have improved, but Apple’s entry could widen their appeal

Foldable phones have advanced from fragile, awkward early devices towards more refined designs, but the article says they have yet to become mainstream. Apple’s reported entry with the iPhone Duo could help broaden their appeal, building on years of work by other manufacturers.

Royole’s FlexPai drew attention in 2019 by showing flexible OLED in a commercial phone, though reviewers found it awkward and unfinished. Samsung’s first Galaxy Fold, priced at just under $2,000, was delayed and recalled after screen failures, while Huawei’s outward-folding Mate X had an elegant design but a vulnerable screen and was not sold in the US. Later models improved the technology, though no single device had yet made foldables mainstream.