I respect your opinion, but for me is it hardly a gimmick. I don’t need a tablet in my bag to view websites that aren’t compatible with mobile layouts, I have a tablet in my pocket whenever I want. Sure it’s not for everyone, just like iPhones vs Android, but the form factor of foldables absolutely solves the needs of some customers and I’m grateful there’s a line of products out there that fits my needs.
It took me a week or so to get used to the form factor but since then I can’t imagine going back to a slab. Different strokes for different folks.
That’s kind of the magic of the flip, it forces you to purposefully decide to open your phone, so for some folks thats a benefit! Being more present in everyday life is something I was focusing on when I was considering the flip for my next phone. I ended up with a fold for other reasons, but that was one of the best benefits I was considering.
I hated the idea until I bought a Fold4. I’m always careful with my electronics, even so, I’ve dropped it several times on accident and had zero issues. I can’t imagine going back to a slab phone, the flexibility of the extra screen real estate is something I use so often that it really would be a significant disruption to my everyday to go back to a slab.
Reliability is a reasonable concern, but the benefits far outweigh the potential risks for me. If you’re breaking phones all the time, they probably aren’t a good fit for you. I don’t bring my phone to beach so maybe I’m more careful than the average user - regardless, I guess that’s why I have a smartwatch.
I work with a lot of crappy websites and embedded systems. I can’t always carry a laptop, so a mobile device fits my use case very well. I also use my large screen to do split screen with two apps open at once, it makes taking notes and observations from videos and documentation a breeze.