Which is best an inner or outer?
2019 is looking to be the year of the foldable smartphone. There are devices being launched by Samsung, TLC, Motorola, and Huawei to name a few.
In this article, I won't be giving the specs, most of which haven't been disclosed yet, but rather a look at the approaches and thoughts surrounding these new devices.
In the case of Motorola, it seems that their idea is to take a small phone in a similar for to their iconic Razr style and fold it out to show a screen that spans the hight of the device. Samsungs device folds out like a book revealing a screen that spans the width of the device. Alternatively, the Huawei device has the screen on the outside and looks akin to a DVD cover. The Xiaomi also has the screen on the outside but there are two folds. So the width of the screen wraps around the device with the left and right edges touching each other at the rear. The front of the device is the middle of the screen and the two sides unfold like two wings.
This variety comes at a time when most smartphones are looking pretty much the same with only the size of a notch that separates them. There seem to be two general camps: An inner screen that gives protection or an outer screen that affords more information without change.
Samsung felt the need to add an additional outer screen since they have opted for a larger inner type that expands as the device is unfolded. This acts like a 'normal' screen when the device is closed. As demoed the user may start an operation on the smaller screen and the choose to unfold the device to use the larger screen. Google maps were given in the demo. As the device opens the information is transferred from the outside screen to an expanded view allowed by the inner screen. So the user can continue where they left off. This would be excellent for Google maps, videos or really any content to be consumed.
Samsung alone has this transition from screen to screen. Motorola chooses a 'clamshell' design where their foldable inner screen is the only screen.
The devices with an outer display do not have this limitation or need the workaround. The screen is visible at all times. But this approach has a mental 'Ouch!' factor as the screen is then unprotected from dirt, scrapes, and drops.
Of course, the advantage is a screen that surrounds the device. A timed group photo can be seen by the group as the photo is taken or even if a stranger is helping then the owner can see the shot at the same time as the operator. Sharing information like an email or an article may be easier as links can be clicked on with disturbing the other person.
It is only Motorola so far who is offering a smaller device that opens up into an acceptable screen size for today's smartphones. The places and situations where a large screen is an advantage are limited to being stationary, seated or both. Samsungs approach seems to suffer most from this limitation as there may be little need to unfold the phone. The outer screens have more general usage and the Motorola device's diminutive size is the only device where the advantage is felt when the device is not being used.
It will be interesting to see which approach holds sway and if Apple join the party with a totally radical approach as they did with the original iPhone.