I went without a foldable for two weeks once and it was incredibly frustrating. Couldn't get used to not being able to open the phone to get a closer look at pictures and restaurant menus. The zoom-and-scroll technique on a tiny phone screen is annoying as hell once you're used to not having to do it anymore. I can never go back to a non-foldable ever again. Thankfully used ones are pretty affordable. Just upgraded my Samsung Fold 3 to a Fold 4 for only $400.
My folded phone is worse in every way to a regular phone. It is a gimmick.
And my pixel 9 pro fold is better in every way than the Samsung galaxy S20 5g. Especially for my use-case where I remote into other computers/servers quite often. Hell my samsung fold 4 was better too. Though I like the pixel more.
For me it's not a gimmick. It's significantly made me more effective at my job when bringing a laptop isn't a valid option.
Neat. My signal is worse, my phone collects dust inside the hinge and I have had to replace so many screen protectors as well as deal with the fact that the front screen is narrower and thus makes typing on it worse and creates typos now a lot. And I still can't get a phone case for the life of me or it.
I prefer the fingerprint sensor not being under the screen for sure but that was solvable without needing it to fold.
I'm glad you are finding a use case but as someone that also remotes into PCs I actually just prefer to pull out a laptop. And I hate how the software often doesn't work seemlessly between open and close causing apps to restart and lose progress.
That's just my findings though. Didn't want previous commentor to feel alone among others praising it when I have found issues as well. We are all basing our feelings on these off emotions anyways. That makes it a gimmick in my eyes.
My Samsung definitely had issue with the interior screen protector... It's lifted at least twice on me. Samsung paid for both and took about an hour each time to replace at their authorized center.
I've had no issue finding cases for either phone though.
The samsung was narrower... the pixel fold isn't. The front screen is quite fat. almost too wide for me... but that might just have been me being used to the samsung.
And most of the time I prefer pulling out the laptop too. But the phone has definitely save me several times where laptop wasn't around and fixing it now could be 5 minutes vs driving an hour to get to my desktop/laptop and fixing it there.
They're not perfect, and not amazing for every use case... but I fit snugly into one use-case that has made them great for me. And since the pixel fold is GrapheneOS capable... I'm quite chuffed about it.
The case is weird I don't want to buy a bulky one on Scamazon that pops free from the glue being cheap like the second case I tried to buy. So that is where I am at not being able to find them. I got gifted a case from Debrand and it literally wouldn't let the phone fold enough to trigger the sensor to turn off the interior screen.
Seems pixel is better, but I liked the Microsoft duo for being wider but that died hard.
They just don't feel like a permanent answer from the cell phone manufacturers.
But I'm glad they found a home with someone that gets the most out of it. Everyone has got unique needs I feel these are still just hyper specific.
The case is weird I don’t want to buy a bulky one on Scamazon that pops free from the glue being cheap like the second case I tried to buy.
If you're still searching... And don't need significant drop protection, look and see if "Thinborne" makes a case for your fold. I don't think they do on the older ones... but if you have a 5 or newer I think they do. I've had good results from them with the new pixel. And they're very very thin.
I'm on GrapheneOS. I harbor a deep distrust for Google overall... I couldn't have bought the phone if it didn't. I probably would have upgraded to the newest samsung fold if the pixel fold wasn't supported by grapheneOS.
Im still on thr Pixel 7 with GrapheneOS too. Am open to try a foldimg phone, but i chicken out at the price. I can double the power of my PC for the price of a Pixel fold in AUS.
That's a completely fair assessment. They're definitely still quite expensive.
But I already have a 7950x3d and a 7900xtx... My machine is as good as it's getting. I had the budget, and have some needs that the larger screen meets.
Has it been worth it? Eh... situationally it's been super nice. But I can't say it's been worth the extra $600 I paid above the next flagship spec quite yet. My first samsung fold though... Verizon paid for me previous phone and paid me more than I paid for it... So that one was definitely worth it.