Folding Phones Such As The Samsung Galaxy Fold And Huawei Mate X Have No Place In The Market

Every few years the technology market feels the need to rejuvenate itself. Now, after the single screen smartphones have been perfected, the jump to dual screen technology has finally started - and in its current state, we think it doesn’t have space in the smartphone market.

First introduced to the mainstream masses by Samsung and Huawei, folding phones aim to combine the portability of the everyday smartphone with their opportunities provided by a larger tablet screen. As seen with the recent Galaxy Fold, the concept includes the mending of two screens, which can be bent in half or opened depending on just how much screen real-estate a user may require.

In concept, combining two everyday technology products into one could be quite brilliant, but in actuality, the product shows more than a few flaws. For starters, combining two products that were always meant to be used separately creates what ultimately doesn’t achieve the perfection of either or. This is especially true in the age of the iPad Pro, where tablets have started adapting into work machines instead of the media giants they were always treated as.

Samsung has resorted to their own custom skin in the form of DEX

This issue is especially true when software is taken into consideration. On the tablet side of the spectrum, more desktop based experiences have been the driving force of allowing tablets to be more than media consumption devices. Apps such as the full version of Adobe Photoshop have now been made for the iPad, making this multi-tasking centric interpretation of what a tablet can do feeling very archaic.

But for those that think that this first generation technology can progress just as easily as smartphones did, think again. Earlier this year, Google announced that it was shifting its focus from Android tablets entirely to its Chrome OS platform. Though this could be subject to change as folding phones amass popularity, from the get go the platform is disadvantage in terms of support.

Google has moved to Chrome OS for large screen devices

Lastly, but certainly not less important than software is hardware. If the failure that was the first batch of the Samsung Galaxy Fold is to be taken as an example of what this technology can achieve in its first generation, we have quite few things to worry. From the flimsy build quality to the natural bend in the middle of the flexible OLED used for its tablet functions, dual screen phones are not only more expensive, but come with a significant higher risk attached to them.

At the end, what this entails that whilst slowly progressing what seems like a slowing industry, folding phones are not only fundamentally broken, but disadvanted in both their hardware capabilities and future software - leaving them at what can only be described as an awkward space in the current smartphone market.

[Opinion] Xiaomi: The Company that Made an iPhone X Clone, Now With an OnePlus7 Pro Clone

After the recent legal issues involving Huawei in the US, many have started to ask themselves to what extent Chinese smartphone companies are copying not only from one another, but also from the western world. When taking a look into this conversation however, it’s impossible to leave one major company behind: Xiaomi.

With smartphones that range from the MI8 (A blatant attempt at bringing the best of the iPhone X into the budget market), and the more recent K20 Pro (The company’s take on the One Plus 7 Pro), it is fair to say that Xiaomi has had an extensive history implementing ideas from other manufacturers into their own products.

I must make it clear however, I am in now ways suggesting that the company only has derivative ideas up its sleeve, in fact, Xiaomi has proved time and time again that it can innovate before anyone else. With the Xiaomi Mi Mix, Xiaomi not only stepped up the standards for what was then considered a premium phone, but basically started the bezeless trend that we see today. As if that wasn’t enough, with the Xiaomi Mi A2, Xiaomi brought not only an unique design, but a slew of features ranging from the capable processor to the potent cameras that were simply not seen in the price-range before.

Yet in many other ways, the company has also proven time and time again that copying the competition can be a great strategy. With the company’s most recent flagship, the MI9, Xiaomi has brought many design features that merge both the latest iPhone and the Huawei P30 Pro into a singular device. The company also has had a history with implementing certain technologies way after the competition, yet still announce them as ground-breaking. A great example of this would be the tried and true wireless charger, a technology that by the time the company finally got around to it with the Mix 2s, it had already become standard with most manufacturers.

When answering whether or not this is a good or bad thing, one must first consider the one aspect that all Chinese companies share in common: Their mission to deliver higher quality devices year by year, all whilst slowly decreasing their entry price point.

If this is to be taken from a manufacturing standpoint, it is cheaper, and safer to manufacture a technique that has already been tested by someone else, than to develop a brand new one. It’s through this strategy that companies like Xiaomi start being slowly forced to handpick what features truly matter, making cuts on areas such as the device’s uniqueness in order to meet the already established expectation for lower costs set by the Southeast Asian market.

Furthermore, in a company so focused about reaching wider audiences, as is the case with almost all Chinese manufacturers, creating unique designs may be seen as a way to distance possible consumers. Whilst technology enthusiasts may enjoy a device that doesn’t look like every other in the shelf, the average consumer may find comfort knowing that their latest budget device is somewhat similar to the latest iPhone they have most likely heard something about.

It must be made clear however, that Xiaomi is far from the only smartphone brand bringing features of its rivals into its own devices. In some cases, one may argue that a lot of Apple’s technology, from the dual camera setup to the OLED screen, were all overdone on the Android side before finally being implemented by the Cupertino giant. Even in the Chinese market, with companies like Oppo and Vivo introducing extremely similarly specced fast chargers around the same time frame, one can see what many now refer to as “ripping off” being done first handedly.

There’s also a point to be made that the politics behind this phenomena are where the issue lies. With IP infringement, and other law-breaching conducts being found in the modern smartphone industry, it’s hard to say that it is a fair game. In fact, if proper international laws, and regulations are ever to be seen in this industry, consumers may start to see more unique phones as patented technologies become harder to gain access to. This is an issue that believe it or not, impacts most modern smartphone companies, as reports of Huawei spies in Apple’s headquarters were published during February of this year.

But despite what politics may sway, this just adds more interesting flame on the technological side of things. On one hand, the extremely fast advancement of the budget market can be mostly attributed to this copying phenomena, as previously premium-exclusive features get overdone to the point where they are simply not too unique, losing value not only in the consumer’s eye, but in a manufacturing standpoint as well. Yet just as much as this loss of value can benefit the consumer, it ultimately results in products that could have been unique losing their chance due to increasingly more fierce competition - leading the smartphone industry to slow lose the innovative flair it once had.

From Huawei to Xiaomi: My First Impressions

It was not long after the Huawei P20 Pro launched that its groundbreaking camera quality and solid spec list managed to not only leave me, but my wallet in deep awe. Roughly a year later, while the device was still solid, recent confrontations with the US government warranted me more than enough reason to sell a device that I deeply beloved. There I was, with a solid amount of money in my hands, yet feeling as if I was missing something, a device that for a while I was convinced was the best I could ever own - after all, a geek without a phone is much like a person without their limbs.

But as I was searching the market for a new device however, I came across the Xiaomi Mi 9, and with upgraded its triple camera setup, Snapdragon 855 processor and beautiful screen, it wasn’t long until I was convinced that this could potentially be my next favourite device. Today, I officially took that leap of faith, and after just a few hours of using it, here is what I think:

Glamour Coated in Glass

When I first unboxed this device, a smile quickly came to my face. Gone was the radiating - and mostly distracting - patterns of my Huawei P20 Pro and in came a more minimalist, outspoken design that despite not feeling as premium in weight as my previous device, still felt specially understated in its own unique way.

After a few hours of using it, I still find something to be said about the display: it’s gorgeous, and dare I say it, better than anything Huawei currently has on offer. Upon comparing it to my father’s Huawei P30 Pro, the Xiaomi Mi 9’s colours pop, and the lack of a curved display ensures that content isn’t distorted simply for the sake of fitting into 2019 standards.

Furthermore, I can also attest that Xiaomi’s triple camera solution has given me some amazing results. This is not only because of a better sensor than that on my Huawei P20 Pro, but also because the AI that Xiaomi uses does not over-saturate the colours as much as Huawei’s solution, creating more realistic and sharpened results.

But not all is rainbows and butterflies with this device, with my biggest problem being the fingerprint scanner: The in-display solution is futuristic and cool, but it will never be as fast as a physical option, making unlocks just a bit more tedious than they usually have to be.

Another aspect that hasn’t impressed me much is battery life, this is the first time in a while where I feel like I will have to charge my phone every single day. Maybe the Huawei P20 Pro has spoiled me, or maybe I simply haven’t used my phone enough for the battery to settle in, but Xiaomi has not packed enough juice in this bad boy so that I feel confident in it as of day 1.

Overall however, both companies have a very different design language, and I believe that Xiaomi cuts the right corners by making the phone thinner and focusing instead of the aspects that matter, creating a device that feels experience driven instead of over-focusing on the looks.

MIUI: An Ocean Full Of Mysteries

Then we come to MIUI, and that’s where my experience goes from mostly positive to a foggy mixed bag. MIUI is different, and after using it for a few hours, I am still unsure of whether I like it more than EMUI or not. On one hand, MIUI is extremely fluid, very snappy and looks very aesthetically pleasing as well. But on the other hand, the animations everywhere and lack of an app drawer really do drag the experience.

I’ve personally put Nova Launcher on my device for now, but I feel like going back to try stock MIUI may be a good idea, because its IOS looks do show potential.

The Road Ahead

As I’ve mentioned, this is just my impressions with the phone after a few hours of use. The idea of installing Gcam for better camera performance, switching the ROM to Xiaomi EU and even simply using this device on a non-intensive day all excite me, and I am sure that the little snippets of complaints I voiced today are sure to change.

Some things however, are just never going to change. I doubt that the in-display fingerprint scanner will ever be as fast as a physical option, I can assure you that the device won’t feel more substantial overnight, MIUI in itself won’t suddenly add an app drawer or lower its animations, and that the battery while surely getting better, just won’t ever compete with the insane two days that I got on my Huawei P20 Pro - yet although these are valid complaints, I feel as if the sheer amount of value offered by Xiaomi is unheard of, and for that I am extremely happy I made the switch.