Your next laptop could be a foldable phone - The Vergecast Recap

Podcast: The Vergecast

Published: 2026-02-17

Duration: 1 hr 18 min

Summary

In this episode, the hosts explore the potential of foldable phones as viable computing devices. Allison Johnson shares her firsthand experience using a foldable phone to replace traditional laptops for basic tasks.

What Happened

David Pierce kicks off the episode with a personal anecdote about his nostalgia for Nintendo 64 and the excitement of trying out the new game, Mario Tennis Fever, on the Switch 2. He sets the stage for the episode's main topics: the practicality of foldable phones as computers and a deep dive into the current landscape of sports streaming with guest Jacob Feldman from Sportico.

The conversation quickly shifts to Allison Johnson, who has been experimenting with using a foldable phone as a computer. She recounts a pivotal moment when she had to rely on her Samsung Z-Fold 7 during an event when her laptop wouldn’t connect to Wi-Fi. This experience sparked her interest in testing how well a phone could perform essential tasks like using WordPress and Slack. Despite initial skepticism, Allison discovers that the foldable phone meets her needs surprisingly well for light computing tasks, challenging her previous notions about the utility of traditional laptops.

Key Insights

• Foldable phones may serve as effective substitutes for laptops for basic tasks.
• Allison's experiment reveals that the boundaries between phones and laptops are increasingly blurred.
• A foldable phone can provide flexibility for users who need to remain mobile without the bulk of a laptop.
• The evolution of phone technology is pushing the limits of how we define personal computing.