Outer Folding Phones: It's Time to Stop!

Outer Folding Phones: It’s Time to Stop examines the Royole FlexPai 2 and why even with substantial improvements, the concept of outside folding screens remains problematic. The video opens with Marques Brownlee reflecting on 2020’s smartphone landscape and positioning the FlexPai 2 within a few awards categories, ultimately arguing that while the device looks cool, it still falls short in practical durability and day-to-day usability. He goes into detail about hardware refinements, such as the redesigned hinge, a more capable camera array, stereo speakers, and software improvements that reduce unintentional orientation glitches. Despite the technical upgrades, he stresses that the outside-folding form factor exposes the fragile display and leaves little room for the protective tricks used by other manufacturers, making it a less viable path for mainstream adoption. The verdict is nuanced: experimentation and innovation are valuable, but the current approach to folding displays still isn’t ready for broad consumer use, and it may be wiser to pursue alternative folding concepts like rollables or other innovative display technologies. He closes by drawing a cicada wing analogy to explain why the phone’s protective layer is still lacking, suggesting a future where the tech is refined enough to justify the risk and complexity of outside folding. The overall takeaway is that progress in folding displays should focus on reliability and protection before widespread adoption, and the industry may benefit from pausing or rethinking the approach to outside-fold designs until better safeguards exist.

Topics · technology · consumer electronics · smartphone design · foldable displays