Certainly in a time like ours, where we try to reduce the environmental impact, produce devices that last less than others and the cheapest solution is not to repair them but to replace them is a beautiful contradiction. We hope this technology improves fast. Nice video as always.

This has been why I've steered clear of foldable phones. I do think the technology with thinner displays will get there eventually. And the current generation of Samsung foldables is way ahead of the first. But it has a long way to go.

it's astonishing how many reviewers failed to mention the god awful design of that huawei foldable. Glad to see someone finally mentioned it.

I've always tried to hold onto my phones as long as possible and appreciate your perspective on how current models are becoming increasingly 'disposable.' Keep up the amazing work!

When even today's phones don't last long enough because of planned obsolescence, lack of repairability and upgradeability, it's clear that avoiding very fragile foldables is the better decision. Great video!

0:53 You nailed it, Phones today are designed to fall apart way too easily and if they don't, the software that runs under the hood will become obsolete in few years without software support, I despise this trend.

There is also another thing to consider when having to send in a phone for repair: the inconvenience of not having a phone to use for X number of weeks. For people who use their phone for business, this is not an option. Another great video. I shared it on my (dumb cat stuff) channel in a post.

I have been using the Z Fold4 for six months and and it has been fantastic. I like the ability to use my device as a phone and a tablet. I agree with you when it comes to the durability of foldable phones. While the durability has gotten better, foldables still have ways to go in order to match that of a traditional phone and tablet. When it comes to harsher environments such as extreme weather, I am more cautious with my Z Fold4. In these types of situations, I use a rugged phone or a tablet that is rugged or with a rugged case.

I love the flip gimmick, but I always make sure to keep my phones as long as they are able to function. Also, I am waiting for this technology to be perfected.

Well said, this is why I'll keep buying a slab phone for sometime to come, as i refuse to spend more than about $300 USD on my phone.

After watching this on my Z Flip 4, I must agree on some things. The phone screen is not nearly as durable but the biggest problem is that people don't treat their phones with caution. I've had my Z Flip 4 for 2 months now and it's been fine. If I worked in more demanding places like construction or similar, then yeah, I could see it breaking but the most damage my Flip 4 gets are cracks on the screen protector from being used in the same room as a hot shower. Be careful with your stuff and it will last a long time.

I have an iPhone currently, having been a part of the Samsung ecosystem for many years (Note 4 was my first, and a broken S22 Ultra was the final straw for me). I can tell you that these phones are all basically the same thing. I was obsessive with upgrading every year (sometimes multiple times a year). I bought into the marketing so hard. But ultimately what I’ve learned is that a phone just doesn’t improve much from year to year, and the marketing is a lie. I plan to keep this phone for many years, and I’ll only upgrade it when it becomes absolutely obsolete

$820 to repair a Fold 4 screen!? Ouch! That's not far off from getting a Pixel 7 instead!! For a device that costs over $2k, you'd expect the screen to last a minimum of 2yrs! Well it really should last 3-4yrs minimum! I'm just glad I no longer want to get the latest and greatest device every year... dropping over $2-3k each year sounds crazy to me now! Thanks Hugh!

I appreciate channels like you and Louis Ross. You guys are real critics of tech while channels like Unbox and MKBHD are just hype trains feigning to be critical.

You are voicing concerns I had when these first came out, after more than 30 years in engineering i could see the potential issues straight away but thanks for bringing this to everyone's attention.

This is what I was trying to explain to everyone who wanted to buy into this gimmick. Great job with the video!

For me, the only concern with folding phones is with damages that happens to screens just with wear, without and drops out something. Still if manufacturer covers it then it's a no problem, but I've heard different stories. To be sure if I bought a foldable I would also purchase a extended warranty just to be sure

So back to the question, have you seen virgina before?

The voice of reason. Thank you, love your channel. Recently saw a video on the mountains of e-waste in Ghana and China; poisoning the public when burnt for tiny precious metals. Gross.

"I stand corrected" That one caught me off guard and gave me a good laugh. 🤣

Well said. Thank you for the consumer advocacy. We need more proper analysis and examination, instead of pure excited hype.

I have to imagine that non technical people accept folding screens as mature technology simply by virtue of them being on the market. After reading about units failing during reviews, the reality is pretty clear. They're as ridiculous as I expected.

I love this kind of videos from your channel. Keep up the good work

You're doing great work. I'm a big advocate of customer awareness, hardware longevity and right to repair. Greetings from Poland. 👍

Good video, I like the enlightment aspect . If someone repairs so many devices like you there is an expertise one can trust. I didn‘t have confidence in foldables, now I will tell everybody not to buy one if they don‘t want to throw money out of the window and into the climate crisis. Greetings

My Fold 3 lasted a year and a half. After about a year, the plastic protector started cracking, but I removed it against all advice and found it to be perfectly fine. What did it in was the speakers stopped working. I completely reset the device and the problem was still there, so I figure it was a hardware issue. I am violent with my devices and find most concerns over durability overblown - a user like me should've destroyed my phone in the first month going by popular and critical opinion. I now have a fold 4 and in spite of my concerns with my last device, I simply can't go back to a smaller form factor. It should be quite clear that this is a new product category and not suited for a budget market. Buy a Pixel or Oppo and you'll be more than okay, or a Redmagic if you want top tier performance. You don't buy the foldable in spite of its weaknesses - you buy it because it folds and are prepared to pay a premium. The concerns you raised are valid but I feel like you're missing the point.

So my question is have you ever seen a vig??

Good afternoon,just wanted to stop in and say that i really like your videos.They are fun,entertaining and you have a good presence about you.Keep up the Awesome job my friend.😎

Bought a foldable phone for the sake of enjoying it. Been using it for months and I realized that these are the same flip phones from the past all over again wherein I needed repairs or replacement after some time. The basic form factor still wins. Still, I have enjoyed using the flip phone and will be using it until it breaks.

I didn't see many, if any at all, listings for Z Flip 4 on the scrolls through eBay. I am glad I waited until Samsung had taken more time to improve on the new technology and so far, four months in, I have had no issues with the Z Flip 4 and have found the quality of life improvements from the design well worth the cost.

That's why I'll always recommend, if you get a foldable phone, always get it with an added protection plan or extended warranty. I've had my Z Fold4 since August, had no issues, but I know that with that protection plan, I'll be fine if anything happens to it

Bought a secondhand Z Flip3 that's now almost two years old for $350. Only had to replace the protective film on the screen. Very happy with the phone and the size is perfect.

I was quite cautious when I bought my fold 4, so I forked out the option to refresh the phone for 2 years if the device fails. I've gotten a lot of use out of the folding option so it was worth for me. Hopefully I can do a swap atthe 2 year mark and continue to use it for more years to come

I've had a ZFlip 3 for over a year with little issues. The stock screen protector, however, did crack and was lifting off at the seam, but there's no damage to the screen itself. I just replaced the screen protector with a more flexible, matte one and it's still going just fine.

Thank you for this eye-opener that many of us needed!

always look forward to a Hugh Jeffrey's video 😀

I dont really think folding phones are a gimmick, the biggest turn off for people getting tablets is the fact that you cant put them in your pockets. Now most people should wait until they come up with a folding material that is stronger then plastic.

I had an experience of a flip 3 phone. With the constant fear of having a dent in the middle, you also have a crappy battery life. Sold it and bought a regular pixel 6a brick and very happy with it.

I've seen quite a few folding phones out in the wild, a few of them were over 2 years old, and they're still in working order.

Your video is sure spot on. I purchased a Samsung Z Flip 4 back in August of 2022. The screen began "blacking out" as the dislodging from the hinge area expanded two months ago. It's been a challenge trying to get it fixed. Multiple phone calls to customer service. Of course I could probably be assertive. I just feel like they don't want to deal with this. Can't blame them the repair shops I guess. I thought about trying my hand at it. I just subscribed. Thanks for your frankness on these issues. Be well.

I saw a folding phone in a carrier store on display and I still think that folding phones are cool until like 2 weeks later when you forget about the gimmick and just becomes a fragile phone

I had the option to buy either an iPhone 13 or a Galaxy Flip3 back in april at about the same price, went for the iPhone without a hiccup and despite of me dropping it on hard floor a couple of times(with a case and screen protector obviously), there is no visible damage on the device, but if that were a foldable on which a proper case and screen protector can't be slapped onto, I doubt the display would be in one piece right now.

Was thinking of getting a flip4. Thank you for bringing me to my senses

ive had my z3 flip for about a year or so i believe. after the 6th month mark i needed to replace the protective screen on the outside, but never had the time to send it in to samsung, with no backup device. it still works fine, just the plastic is frilled up slightly in a few parts of the crease. new innovations bring new issues.

This is why I'm still holding off from buying one. I will also add that you miss some features from a regular slab phone. Even the vanilla S22 had more compelling features than the Flip 4 and you can get it for less.

from BC & Lory!

Great video. Second one in 11 minutes. Subscribed. I dislike these devices (too thick, too heavy, too fragile and of course… too expensive

Thank you. Brilliant summary of why to avoid foldable phones. Planned obsolescence. You said it!

I own a Z Flip 2 and Z Fold 2. I'd say they aren't any less durable than regular phones. I work in a construction site, yet the hinges are still smooth. I dropped them so many times, and they are still fine. However, if you unfortunately break the screen, the repair cost is a real issue.

Yea the durability concern can't go understated. Dope concept with some cool practical use cases for sure though

Yup. This is the very concern I have regarding durability. Dropping more than a flagship sum, for a folding device, I'd want to be assured it'll last, to compensate for the extra cost. I don't have that confidence quite yet.

Thank you very much for these advices.

Have u ever see virgina

I've had a z flip 4 for the past 5 months and I love it. I mean, yeah, I anticipate it's likely to be less durable than non-foldable phones, but it was a trade-off I was willing to make for a phone that actually fits any pockets or bags I'm wearing (the ever present issue of women's clothing), and to me it has been worth it. So far mine still looks as perfect as when I first got it, but then again I try to not be careless with my phone (had my previous phone for 4 years without a single crack) and I always have a case on. I can certainly agree this is not a phone for people that are prone for breaking phones in general.

Eye opening video. Thank you!

Thanks mate. A useful heads up.

看過包魚嗎

Thank you Hugh. I was seriously considering buying a foldable phone next. Because I believed that in 4 iterations, Samsung had figured out to make a Fold/Flip last for 4-5 years without major concerns. If they'd just undo many of the recent developments & give us back an IR blaster or a 3.5mm jack, life would truly be more than satisfactory

I'm not sure what ppl do to their phones.. the only phone screen I ever had that failed was a S7edge with a gfx red line artefact.. I'm a year into my 1st Flip(4) with the only issue being the screen protector starting to creak as it was coming away from the screen at the crease.. a really cheap fix.. I'm not going to upgrade to the Flip5 for just the bigger outer screen either, will wait and see what the Flip6/7 have to offer.. Thanks for your video and thoughts..

Thank you very much more advocating this notion, Hugh, amidst the barrages of vendors upon vendors trying to convince us that foldable is the ultimate future

I got myself a fold 3 when that phone launched, I'm currently over a year and a half into ownership and my display has held up absolutely perfectly. Personally, I think foldables are only really worth the risk if you're hyper careful with any technical device like myself. I'm not saying the tech is perfect because no technology is, but I do think they suit what I'm looking for right now.

These are cool and all, but I'll see how these continue to improve overtime and for any kinks to be ironed out! I tried one of these folding phones at a T-Mobile last year.

“And if history is anything to go by…” hahaha you got me with that line!!

I don't know if it was ever released in your region, but did you ever see the LG Wing? That was a design with multiple screens that avoided most of the apparent problems these folding screens have, but I don't know how it fared in terms of repairability.

靠邀要來就用中文讓他看不懂啦😂 用英文問他有沒有看過鮑鮑有夠機掰欸 所以你有看過鮑鮑嗎

This is the exact reason why I'm not excited about foldable phones. Other than "Wow, that's cool," it just doesn't seem to add a lot to existing experience, and it is much more fragile and expensive to repair.

I have a Z Flip 3 as a work phone that I got since Feb 2022. Been rock solid for me to the point it impressed my dad who went ahead and bought the Z Fold 4. May end up replacing my 1TB iPhone 14 Pro Max for a Z Fold down the road.

Hugh, what glue do you use to hold down smartphone displays or smart watch displays? I see there is a clear glue out there ?

沒吃過鮑魚應該也看過鮑魚吧

I haven't even watched this video, but there's no way I'll be buying foldable for a long time.

Thank you so much. I wanted to buy one but after seeing these videos I changed my mind.

I seen folding phones in stores but I was skeptical about this, always asked if the phone will actually survive folding because I knew those flexible plastic screens can't remain flexible forever... or there are trade offs between flexibility and scratch resistance. I seen some people with them but I wonder if they regret their purchase.

I bought a Z Flip 3 in 2021 because it was the same price as a Galaxy S21 brand new from my carrier. It was really cool, but broke after a year and they wanted 400 dollars to fix it, which was the cost of just buying another Flip off of eBay. Tech in them is really cool but having a phone break for no reason 10 months after I bought it was a lot less cool

Well said. Keep up the good work 👏

much needed perspective

I adore my Z Flip. The screen protector is starting to crack a bit so I'll have to replace that, but otherwise it's incredible and so much nicer to carry.

I've read that Apple is going to implement the USB C port in the new iPhones, but they will require a cable with special certificate to charge the device. This is crazy. This company should be getting lawsuits every year and paying out billions of dollars already for coming up with such foolish ideas.

你有沒有看過雞拜拉？

Hugh, I wanted to replace the battery on my iphone XS but am unable to find a reputable battery to put in it. Ifixit batteries cost almost as much as the apple battery replacement. What battery do you use in your repairs and can I order them from ebay/aliexpress/amazon? Thank you!

This companies should be taken to court! !

I don’t get why people would want to buy a folding phone, especially those book style ones, for the price of a galaxy z fold you can get the 16” MacBook Pro that’s far better for real world use and multitasking, and if you want a tablet sized display, just buy a freaking tablet

I agree. Most people should stick to normal phones. But if you know the risk and are a enthusiast, get one. You won’t go back to a slab. I’ve had my Fold 3 since launch and dropped it a few times but still works. They’re more durable than you think. Only thing I had to replace was the screen protector. I’m even going caseless now cause I love the design so much.

I had the Z Flip 3 for nearly a year. I noticed a small scratch in the crease show up after having it for 6 months, even though I was super careful with it. It wasn't a big deal at the time to me, the display was still responsive under it, and it wasn't actually super noticeable. However, around the one year mark of owning my phone, the crease started opening up near the edges, then in less than a weak, the crease was all raised up. I went to see how much it cost to get the screen replaced and ultimately decided it was cheaper to trade it in and get the S22... 😢

Awesome vid bro, keep educating ppl, get them off the hype train of fallen tech ;-)

I own a Fold 3 and have had it for a year. It's a very good device and, in my opinion, is the best form factor as you can use it normally and open it up only when you need or want a bigger screen. This reduces wear on the foldable screen in comparison to Flip as you cannot use Flip unless you open it up and people check on their phones *a lot* . I open up my Fold up to 30 times a day max, exception being the days where people asked to see it and folded it a few times while holding it. With it being rated to withstand up to 200.000 folds I am certain that it will last me at least 3 years, which is a year longer than any other phone I ever had. Unless I drop it or somehow break it, that is...

"It scratchs at level 6 with Dipper groves at level seven" Hugh Jefferys everyday

Good Video, I personaly own a z fold 3 for 1 1/2 years now and had no problems with it.

Currently enjoying this content on my fold 3, still uncracked and durable as ever

I own a Z Fold 3, Z Flip 3, owned a Razr 2019, Razr 5g and now use a Z Flip 4 as my daily driver. I haven't had a candy bar type smart phone in 3 years.I'll keep using them as long as they're still being made. I haven't had any issues with any of then besides for the Razr 2019 which was a horrible but that had been well documented. I've rotated phones weekly so they all have been well used for sometime now. I look forward to the future of foldable phones.

As I own a Flip 3 since it's release in August 2021, Im not so pessimistic about folding phones. In fact Im quite surprised how well it stood up the test of time. Unless the display protector foil that comes off every 6 month, there rly is no issue I can't live with. The hinge becomes a bit looser during first 3 month of using the Flip 3 , but once it "settled" there is no further "worn out effect" Still folds and unfolds very smootly. As a tech enthusiast I just felt in love with this thing from day one, and I rly do not wanna go back to a normal smartphone.(although I still use my old SD 855 device at my working place) As such Im also aware of the weak points of folding phones and so I rly handle my device with care.

Hello Hugh Really enjoy your videos. Do you know of any safe method to remove an FRP Lock on a Samsung Galaxy A40? I squired the phone from my father who recently passed away. I performed a Hard Reset on the phone however it still requires the password to re activate. Otherwise the phone (inpractically mint condition) is nothing more than ewaste. Thanks

As an engineer, I have the same reaction and it was immediate when I saw these flip /fold phones. It’s a fundamental law of material fatigue.

*Have you seen vegina*

I'm an owner of a Z Fold 3. My phones never lasted one year before the Fold because I've always upgraded yearly since the Galaxy S2. I brought it during pre-sales back in September/2021. To this day I'm in love with this phone and it's the first one that I don't feel a necessity to upgrade. It's simply amazing and I've only had great experiences with it both in terms of durability and reliability. Of course, I want it to last as long as possible. Currently I have an insurance but I'm not eager to use it. As far as I can tell based on reddit it's not uncommon people having problems with the screen. I think the weather might be a factor there - things don't like to bend in colder temperatures - and i live in a tropical country so that's is not an issue. Overall I don't have any complaints. If you have any specific questions let me know.

Yes. This technology is in very early stages, and every time i see that phone in a commercial or something i think of how easily it could break, especially at the folding part.

Have the Z Flip 3 since launch and also removed the screen protector. Zero issues to this day and i've also got a Fold 4. No scratches on either of them at all. Just because Huawei was dumb enough to come up with such a design doesn't mean all foldables are bad. Love my Fold 4,and if i'm going to pay a big amount of money,i'd rather get a Galaxy Fold more than a Galaxy S

Yep my flip 3 screen protector failed first after about 12 months so I removed it. Then around 4 months later I noticed fine cracks in the screen. The screen still worked fine but I knew it would probably fail soon. That's why you have a warranty I took it into Samsung and they replaced the screen, front cover, and batteries - now the device is perfect once again but if the screen protector again begins to fail I'll plan to update the device. I do prefer the flip form factor it fits into any pocket.

Fabulous video!

I love the 3 Thubderbolt displays!!!

你有看過鮑鮑嗎 BC & Lory粉XDD