Google I/O 2019 had no foldable phones and it was all Samsung’s fault

If foldable phones are supposed to be the future, Google missed its big chance to get people pumped about them.

While they were very briefly mentioned during the main keynote on Monday, foldable phones weren’t on display at any of its sessions.

The scrapped plan, I’m told, was to have some kind of foldables showcase in one of the “sandbox” experiences at I/O. There, attendees would have been able to try out foldable phones (or see prototypes and concept devices), and get more information about how Android would be adapted for them. 

The company to blame for the no-show? Almost certainly Samsung.

The Galaxy Fold seemed ready to usher in a new era of mobile with its innovative foldable display, which would let users fold a tablet into a phone they could fit in their pockets. Then, a few weeks ago, came the Fold’s disastrous launch.

Crazy $1,980 price tag aside, I was genuinely impressed with the build quality and software features such as “app continuity,” which allows you to expand an app from the outside display to the interior one. All was going well until Galaxy Folds started breaking. 

Mere days after receiving Galaxy Folds to test, tech reviewers started reporting various ways the devices could easily be damaged. 

One reviewer damaged the Galaxy Fold’s display after debris reportedly got underneath it (likely through the many openings in the device). Other reviewers accidentally destroyed the Fold’s screen by peeling off the protective film covering the interior display; they mistook it for a pre-installed screen protector.

Samsung promptly recalled all review units and delayed the Fold’s worldwide launch indefinitely to investigate durability issues and reinforce the design.

The recall isn’t embarrassing just for Samsung, but also Google. Samsung’s failure will likely set back the development of foldable phone hardware and software.

Instead of loudly preaching in favor of foldable phones, Google’s essentially been forced to slink back and tread cautiously with a wait-and-see approach. Android’s foldable software design is at the mercy of its hardware partners, including Samsung, Huawei, and Xiaomi, all of whom have announced bendable devices. The only way Google wouldn’t be is if it releases its own foldables, but that’s likely not happening anytime soon.

Google says he show will go on, and developers will be able to use an emulator in the Android Q beta to adapt their apps. But there’s little incentive to do so if the physical devices aren’t ready to ship.

You can’t rely on one hardware partner to create a movement or trend.

The foldables no-show at I/O also says a lot about Google’s decision to put so much faith in Samsung. That one bad device is already stalling the rollout of foldables is not a show of confidence for the form factor.

There’s a lesson to be learned here: Don’t rely on one hardware partner to create a movement or trend. I know it’s still really early days, but if Google is serious about making foldables A Thing, it needs to come to the table in full force with multiple foldables devices from multiple hardware manufacturers. 

Google Senior Director of Android Stephanie Cuthbertson said that’s exactly what we’ll see and promises foldables are “coming from multiple Android OEMs” later this year. But until devices physically in developer and consumer hands, Google’s work on Android for foldables might as well be a curious hobby.