Could folding phones be the future?
3rd May 2019
As you may know, Samsung and Huawei, two of the leading tech innovators in smartphones have recently debuted folding smartphones. And no, we don’t mean the classic Motorola Razer, but phones that actually fold out into a tablet-style book! As these new phones cover both the smartphone and tablet markets, we’re looking forward to understanding how they will take multitasking to the next level.
As you’d imagine, folding phones won’t be cheap. Depending on which device you choose, prices start from upwards of £1800 (Samsung Galaxy Fold). The trend for super expensive smartphones originally started back in 2017 with the iPhone X. Now we see more and more manufacturers finding excuses to drive up the price of their tech. Folding devices seem to be the latest trend to add to the list.
How will this affect the way we create and consume content?
While it’s fair to assume that not every consumer will be spending upwards of £1800 on a foldable mobile, if the trend does catch on, it may pave the way for a new type of content. Creating original and unique social content that takes advantage of the massive folding 7.3-inch 1536 x 2152 screen size will be an interesting challenge.
We predict that one of the main benefits of these bigger screens would be their potential for video content. For a larger screen display with such unusual diameters, video content will have to be shot in the correct radio to maximise effectiveness and avoid those dreaded letterboxing black bars at the top and bottom of the video. As anyone who is still getting to grips with having to film for IGTV will know, creating video content in a different aspect ratio requires planning and consideration in advance.
A larger screen also presents more challenges when marketing content. Our attention span is already short, but a device with a larger, folding screen may mean that it will be harder to grab users attention as they are scrolling through social media. The folding device allows multitasking like never before, up to three tabs open on the screen at once, so being able to create instantly engaging and attention-grabbing content will be an even bigger priority for brands.
The platforms and the devices we consume content on are constantly evolving, so it is vital as marketers we keep a close eye on technology innovations and evolve with them. It will be interesting to monitor how predicted changes may come into fruition, we look forward to the challenges that folding phones are about to throw our way!
Watch this great first impressions video to get a better understanding of the device: