While global smartphone sales are falling, one category that is expected to do surprisingly well is foldable phones. Samsung is the biggest supplier of foldable phones right now, but it looks like other Android makers are starting to catch up to the tech field.
But despite all these innovations and the obvious benefits of using a foldable phone, we don’t think they’re recommended enough for the average user. Not now, at least. Let us discuss why you should not buy a foldable phone in 2025.
Foldable phones are expensive and lose value fast
First, let’s address the obvious: Foldable phones are still very expensive. For example, the Galaxy Fold 4 was launched for $1799 and the Flip 4 for $999. The latter may seem reasonable since it matches the price of a modern flagship, but the Flip is full of compromises like poor battery life, fragile display, high repair costs, and more.
The point is that foldable technology is still in its infancy and doesn’t make sense to most people. That’s why Apple has not yet launched the foldable iPhone. But as with any technology, it will get better and cheaper over time as investment goes up and production costs fall.
Second, foldables lose their value really fast. For context, if you head over to Samsung’s website and trade in your $1799 Fold 4 for the Galaxy S23, you’ll only get $750 worth. The device is just six months old at the time of writing and has already lost around 60% of its original price.
This is because, unlike regular phones with a relatively stable form factor, foldables are still evolving. This means that the parts inside them cannot easily be recycled into new models. Therefore, they become obsolete very quickly as the company no longer needs them.
And finally, sustainability. Because the parts inside foldable phones become obsolete so quickly, they essentially become e-waste. And since foldable phones have moving parts, they’re also more prone to wear and tear, requiring you to upgrade to a newer phone faster than a normal phone.
Foldables need more time to develop
Foldable technology is making strides, and Samsung has the most to gain from it becoming mainstream. But as it stands, foldable phones are unnecessary for most people given their existing compromises.
Granted, the ability to fit a large screen into a pocketable form factor is quite novel and really useful. But a foldable phone should ideally be like a normal phone but also one that folds in half too and we’re not there yet.
We all check the price and specification of the phone before buying it to make sure that we are getting the best deal. But as any good tech critic will tell you, specs aren’t everything.
Many other equally important factors will indicate how your experience with your new phone will be. So, let’s take a look at the ten things that you should keep in mind before picking up that phone.
1. What’s in the box?
There’s no sugarcoating it; The unboxing experience on many of today’s smartphones is disappointing. Just a few years ago, unboxing a new phone felt like opening a Christmas present.
Along with the phone, you also get a charger, a cable, a case, a pair of wired earphones, a SIM ejector tool, and sometimes a pre-installed screen protector. Today, you’ll be lucky if you can find three of these accessories. If your new phone comes with a charger and a case in the box, that’s a big win in our book.
2. What is the price in other regions?
You may not realize it, but you may be paying 20% to 50% more when buying a new phone than buyers in other areas. So a smartphone model in your price range in Europe may cost more than what you should spend on a smartphone in the US.
For example, the iPhone 14 Pro Max starts at $1,099 in the US, but is priced at INR 139,900 in India, which is roughly $1,689 at the time of writing. This means that a buyer in India would pay almost 54% more for the same device! If this is the case in your area, it is better to look for other options.