Another year, another slab of glass that bends in half so you can feel like a 2008 sci-fi extra.
Samsung's latest foldable just dropped, and the reviews are rolling in with all the enthusiasm of a guy who just realized his $1,800 phone still can't fold laundry.
No, it hasn't gotten better in any way your thumb will notice.
It's like the universe's way of reminding you that physics is undefeated and your wallet is now $400 lighter than it should be.
The hinge, to be fair, is genuinely impressive.
It snaps shut with a satisfying little thunk that says "I cost more than your car payment." Open it up and you get a tablet-sized screen that's great for... scrolling Twitter in a slightly wider rectangle.
Everything is aggressively, spectacularly fine, which is a weird thing to say about a device that costs as much as a used Honda Civic.
The inner display still has that plastic-y feel that makes you want to baby it like a Fabergé egg.
Here's the thing nobody wants to admit: foldables are a solution in search of a problem.
You don't need a phone that turns into a tiny tablet.
You want one, sure, because it looks cool at brunch.
But then you remember you have to treat it like a delicate flower and the magic evaporates.
The durability question also lingers like a bad smell.
Dust, pocket lint, the existential dread of dropping it on tile — all still very much on the menu.
Samsung claims improvements, and maybe they're real, but nobody's volunteering to stress-test their rent money.
Normal people just want a phone that survives a drop and doesn't require a payment plan.
Those two groups are not the same, and the gap grows every year.
Meanwhile, the price hasn't budged in any meaningful way.
You're still paying a flagship-plus premium for the privilege of a screen that folds.
That's not innovation trickling down; that's innovation staying comfortably at the top of the mountain, sipping a latte and waving.
If you've got the disposable income and you genuinely use that bigger screen — reading, multitasking, watching stuff on a plane — maybe.
If you just want to flex, save your money and buy a normal phone plus a tablet.
You'll spend less and won't cry when you sit on it.
In practice, it's a very expensive fidget toy that happens to make calls.
That's what we said last year, though. **Our take:** Foldables are finally good enough to buy, but not good enough to justify the price for most Americans.
Wait for the inevitable price cuts, or just accept that your boring flat phone was never the problem.
Final Thoughts
The crease isn't going anywhere, and honestly, neither is your skepticism.