[Johnny555]

I used to ask the same question about cameras on phones, who is asking for these? Low resolution, terrible low light performance, and who wants to look at photos on a low quality phone display, if you have to load pictures on your computer anyway, why not just use a dedicated camera and get much better photos? I “knew” that with the space constraints in a phone, the camera would never approach the quality of a “real” camera.

Then, of course, the technology advanced (hardware and software) and my phone has replaced both my point and shoot and DSLR cameras (even if picture quality can’t quite replace good lenses and a big sensor, the convenience outweighs it, no more dragging along a big camera bag on vacation)

I’d love to have a reliable and inexpensive folding phone so I could have a big screen when I want it (like while commuting or on an airplane) but I can fold it up to a much smaller form factor when I don’t want the big screen.

[lucidguppy]

I think things like folding and cameras on phone isn't why you go out looking for a phone.

It's just to nudge you towards their product when you're given the choices.

[tnel77]

Because of our children, I think the camera is the main selling point for my wife. She almost exclusively uses her phone for taking pictures and sending them to family.

[tweetle_beetle]

To use your own analogy, you would like the folding phone from 20 years in the future (reliable and inexpensive). It sounds like you didn't want the camera phone of today in its infancy.

I think the parent is asking who wants the folding phone of today, and, by extension, why is the strategy of a large organisation relying on this market?

[Johnny555]

>the parent is asking who wants the folding phone of today

The answer to that is simple -- the people that are buying it.

You don't get the folding phone of tomorrow without first getting the folding phone of today, and some people want it badly enough that they are willing to pay a premium and suffer through its technological shortcomings.