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Don't buy a foldable smartphone in 2019

Dave Smith

2019-04-17T20:33:00Z

samsung galaxy fold

Foldable smartphones are most exciting new technology of 2019 so far.
These new phone designs are exciting, but it makes the most sense to wait at least a year before buying one.
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Foldable smartphones are so hot right now.

But just because 2019 will be the first year these futuristic designs will be available for public consumption, it doesn't mean you should be one of the first to rush in.

Here's why.

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In late February, we got a barrage of announcements from smartphone makers about their plans to release foldable smartphones in 2019.

Samsung Foldable phone — Samsung's foldable smartphone display. AP Photo/Eric Risberg

Samsung went first at Unpacked 2019, surprising the crowd that was expecting to see the new Galaxy S10 phones by preceding that announcement with the new Galaxy Fold, a foldable smartphone that starts at $1,980.

Samsung Galaxy Fold

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That same weekend, at Mobile World Congress, Huawei — the second largest smartphone maker in the world, next to Samsung — unveiled its foldable Mate X. That phone will cost a whopping $2,600 when it becomes available later this year.

Huawei Mate X

Several Chinese companies, including TCL and Oppo, showcased prototypes of foldable phones this year, with plans to release fully functional models in the future if there's enough demand.

tcl foldable phone — TCL's foldable phone seen at Mobile World Congress 2019. Miquel Benitez/Getty Images

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Foldable smartphones are exciting. We haven't seen many new smartphone designs come along, so to see a new idea so fleshed out — a phone that can transform into a tablet so you can do more work, or play games more comfortably — is something a lot of people will happily pay for.

Samsung Galaxy Fold

Still, it's best you don't buy a foldable smartphone in 2019. It makes sense to wait — for several reasons.

Samsung Galaxy Fold

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First of all, these phones are asking for a lot of money up front — roughly two to three times what you'd pay for a high-end smartphone. Keep in mind, all of these phones are running the same software underneath.

Samsung Unpacked 2019

Secondly, we don't know what the repair process will be like for these phones. Given the high cost of the phone to start, would you also be okay being phone-less, potentially for several weeks, as you ship your phone to the manufacturer and wait for it to return?

Samsung Galaxy Fold — The Samsung Galaxy Fold. Samsung/YouTube

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Repair costs are also likely to be high for these first-generation models. These phones are using brand-new components, so replacing them if something goes wrong will probably not come cheap.

Samsung

Case in point: Samsung gave review units of the Galaxy Fold to critics in mid-April, but several of those reviewers said their screens broke within a day or two.

Samsung galaxy Fold

Read more: Some reviewers say their $2,000 Samsung Galaxy Fold foldable smartphones are breaking after just two days of use

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You need your phone to be reliable, and first-generation tech is prone to failures of all types. In the case of the new Galaxy Fold, it's still unclear if that phone can even last a week of regular usage.

Samsung Galaxy Fold

Smartphones are invaluable devices, so for something that costs so much, you want to limit the risk of something going wrong. But manufacturers typically learn a lot from first-generation models, especially in terms of what to do and what to avoid in the future.

Huawei Mate X — The Huawei Mate X on display at Mobile World Congress 2019. REUTERS/Sergio Perez

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Aside from the screen issues, it's impossible to foresee what other kinds of problems these phones face. Maybe the hinge breaks, or one of its six cameras malfunctions — but do you want to be a guinea pig, especially given how much you're paying?

Samsung Galaxy Fold

Foldable smartphones are exciting, but it really makes the most sense to wait. Manufacturers will work out the kinks over time, and prices will lower to meet demand. Don't rush in just to be part of the trend; it'll likely cost you more than you think.

Samsung Galaxy Fold

Samsung Huawei

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