Totally agree, especially for the restaurant menu use case even if it's niche. I can have a regular phone walking around folded and just unfold whem I sit down and am ready to consume any kind of media.

I want folding phone too. Question is, at what price.

I don't want to have to lug a tablet everywhere, like some fulltime scribe.

I think the idea behind the folding form factor is that you don't have to lug it around, since it's in the same shape as a regular phone whenever you're not using it (and I don't think people consider having a phone in their pocket "lugging it around").

I don't want a crease in my screen, which I've seen on every single one of these used for any length of time.

as a person who has daily driven a fold for almost 2 years the "crease" is a complete non-problem when you are using it. its mostly just people who havent actually used it that complain about it because they heard some influencer complaining about it or they saw a picture someone took of it with a studio light blasting down on it at the perfect angle.

Nothing to do with "influencers", but yes I haven't really used it. My opinion was formed from watching other people's phones who have this and deciding I don't like it, and I'm not prepared to change phones to give it a try on the off chance that I mind not find it an issue.

Check out Samsung's zFlip form though. I think if foldables take over the small flip versions will always maintain enough of a market to also exist.

Then don’t?

Google Fi offers a trade-in, and separately a "keep service for 24 months" prorated $700-off deal.