These are the 5 worst parts of using a foldable phone (after 6 months)

I’ve been using a flip phone as my primary computing device for over six months now. That said, I’ve logged in on my phone for a few hours now, and while I love my Galaxy Z Fold 5, there are still drawbacks to folding devices that can’t be ignored.

1 Folding ones are less durable

My phone feels like a rock. I won’t deny that. I’ve dropped it many times and it’s fine. It feels as strong as any other phone I’ve had.

But the fact remains that more things can break when using moving parts. Something can go wrong with the hinge down the road. If you’re looking for pictures of broken foldable phones, you’ll usually find streaks of black broken pixels along the bend of the foldable screen.

Foldable phones also have a lower IP rating than slim phones. My phone can handle immersion in water, but it is not ready for dust and sand. As great as an internal screen is for reading e-books, a folding book-style device may not be the best way to read books on the beach.

2 You have to pay more

Since foldable phones have an outer cover screen and a giant inner screen for an unrivaled display, they are more expensive than traditional flat phones. Many of us expected that the price had already gone down, but currently folding tables in the US continue to hover around two thousand.

That said, there are ways around it. The Galaxy Z Fold, Pixel Pro Fold and OnePlus Open have been launched with great deals. The used market is even more attractive. I bought my Z Fold 5 unused, opened box for one grand.

With a foldable device, walking to a carrier store or Best Buy is not your best bet. Their prices are too high for most of us. Do your research and look for the best deal instead.

3 Inappropriate placement of the button

I don’t have this problem with my Z Fold 5 because the buttons on it are just right. That said, I’ve been using the Moto Razr (2024) for a while. After unboxing this device, I found the placement of the buttons to be one of the downsides of foldable devices that I didn’t expect.

what was the problem The power and volume buttons are located higher on the side of the device than most phones. The buttons must be either above or below the hinge. There’s no way around it, but it’s still embarrassing.

4 Unusual aspect ratio

All of the book-style folding phones have unusual screen shapes, but it’s especially noticeable on the Galaxy Z Fold series, where the cover screen is narrower than the slim phones. As a result, whether I’m using an internal or external display, the screen doesn’t quite have the aspect ratio that most apps expect.

Honestly, this is usually not a problem; apps generally scale well, especially on Samsung phones, as the One UI software adapts apps to any size. It is when watching videos and playing games that the aspect ratio is strange.

While you might think that a larger screen would be better for video, this is only the case with 4:3 aspect ratio videos. Standard 16:9 videos (like movies and TV shows) appear only slightly larger than they do on weak phones with thick black bars at the top and bottom.

Some games will adapt to any aspect ratio, but many will not. A number of games have non-conventional display issues, which I experienced when trying to play Iron Marines (some UI elements extend beyond the screen). Other games run in letterbox format, just like movies. Overall not a great experience.

5 Inferior cameras

Despite the higher MSRP, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 (and 6) has less powerful camera hardware than the cheaper Galaxy S23 and S24 Ultra. That’s because there isn’t as much room for powerful camera hardware in a phone with two halves that must be thinner than your typical phone when unfolded. Since foldable phones tend to be thicker when folded, slapping your back with a massive camera bump isn’t ideal either.

The technical challenge makes sense, but it’s worth paying more money and not getting the absolute best camera hardware a smartphone manufacturer provides.

Do you think the other benefits of a foldable phone outweigh having a weaker camera? For me absolutely. After all, the Z Fold and other book-style foldables still take better photos than most Android phones. They fall short only when compared to the best Android flagships.

Other than that, I still enjoy using my folding machine. None of his mistakes are deal breakers for me. Currently, the benefits of foldable phones make it difficult for me to go back to a flimsy phone.