Why foldable smartphones are not good for gaming

Foldable or bendable (including rollable) phones have been around for a few years. The initial releases we haunted with build problems, ranging from mechanical issues to screen durability. These days, most of the common issues have been addressed and for the most part, consumers have accepted the shortcomings on top of the cool factor.

And there are so many to choose from — Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3, Motorola Razr 5G, Microsoft Surface Duo 2, Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold, OPPO Find N, Huawei Mate X2, TCL Trifold, and even the rollable Oppo X 2021.

Last year, I received a Galaxy Z Flip 3 for my Platinum plan and I’ve recently moved to it from the Galaxy S21 Ultra that I also bought a few months earlier. I’ve had no issues with the migration as they are both Samsung phones and everything went smoothly until I discovered some issues while playing Mobile Legends on the Galaxy Z Flip 3.

At first, I thought it was just a crease on the screen protector on the upper left corner of the display. It was not a surprise since I have experienced the same in other phones I used before, knowing that I can be really eager in pressing down (sometimes with the nails really digging in) on the screen while playing.

So, I did the more reasonable step — peel off the screen protector, buy a new one from Lazada and wait for it to arrive and install it myself. To my surprise, the crease on the display remained even after I pulled off the screen protector. Then, it dawned on me — the display isn’t glass (or some sort of Gorilla Glass I so foolishly assume it would be). It’s some sort of ultra-thin but tough plastic!

Even after I applied a new screen protector, since the display is now already creased, it would not fit flat on the surface with the screen protector. That’s it. I now have to contend with using a foldable phone that has a huge visible crease on the display. I Googled for similar cases with the Flip 3 5G but have not found anything yet except for the anecdotal cracked screen on the foldable area.

It could be just me and my cumbersome way of playing mobile games but it’s a reality that every other owner of ‘foldable’ phones should bear in mind. Too bad since I kind of like the idea of flip phones but we all have to take note that they’re not that durable compared to the regular flat ones.

For now, I might just go back to my old Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G.

Further readings — Foldable Phones: Flip or Flop?