It's exciting to see the new Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4 because they're boring

In the past, foldable were hailed as an escape from the annual release treadmill of spec bumps. However, they have now fallen victim to it as well. There is no better example of this than the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and the Galaxy Z Flip 4.

In addition to being excellent pieces of hardware, they are also evolutionary in nature. You've basically had 95% of the experience of the Z Fold 4 if you've used a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. It's not a bad thing, I think.

The standard smartphone has been criticized for being, well, standard. Now that foldable are following the same path, it's time to evaluate whether that's actually a bad thing. As it turns out, foldable aren't just being spec bumped; they've also become standardized rather quickly.

As foldable became popular, there was much debate about what the ideal form factor was. It's over now. The folding type and the flipping type are now the two standard types. It's now time for a spec bump.

Each of these devices comes in a variant of the same theme, such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold, the Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold, and the Oppo Find N.

The tablet comes with a smaller screen with a hole-punch camera for a hole-punch camera, which unfolds to reveal a tablet-sized display. Conversely, there are the Galaxy Z Flip, Huawei P50 Pocket, and Moto Razr of the world, which combines the design sensibilities of yesterday and today.

At the same time, I must strongly defend boredom. There's a reason 'may you live in interesting times is not considered a blessing, but a curse. There is nothing boring about boring. It is simple, stable, and reliable. The sooner Samsung's foldable devices reach that level, the better. The device is stable, reliable, and tried-and-true.

It's also possible to argue that 'boring' and 'fun' are not useful terms for assessing tools. Writers can use them as a lens to see phones through when thinking and writing about them, but it's not a great way to consider their usefulness.

In my opinion, foldable are still the same as they always have been, with their weaknesses being their indecisiveness and in-between form factor. A counterargument is that the indecisiveness of that form factor allows one to take advantage of multiple devices with relatively little downside. It's not worth rehashing here. If you are on board, you are on board. 

That's exactly what the Fold 4 and Flip 4 do. By not reinventing the wheel, they avoid breaking things along the way. The team keeps what worked the last generation, fixes what didn't, and moves on.

The Fold 4 and Flip 4 will be a tool for many people, and boredom isn't an insult when it comes to tools. Despite being foldable, boredom should be nothing less than a compliment.