Seven in ten Europeans say they want the flexibility of a slim phone for everyday use that can unfold into a bigger screen, according to a new mobile survey. Whether it’s juggling multiple apps, adding notes to a document, or editing video, today’s users are pushing the small screens on their smartphones to the limit.
An overwhelming 85% of European users surveyed, across the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, say they’ve started a task on their phone and left it unfinished so they could pick it back up later on a bigger screen.
Nearly a third (29%) point specifically to limited screen space as the main source of frustration when handling complex tasks, while one in four (25%) find constantly switching between apps or tabs annoying. These constraints are the main reason so many tasks get left half-done.
The most common examples involve online shopping or comparing products (26%), reading or reviewing important documents (26%), and editing photos or video (21%). The findings were released as part of Galaxy Unpacked in London, where Samsung unveiled the next chapter in foldable device innovation. The survey covered 4,006 smartphone users in the UK, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy in July 2026, conducted by Censuswide.
More Room on Phones for Things That Actually Matter
When a task involves important details or decisions, users often need more space to look over the information in front of them. Survey respondents say they put off tasks, double-check things, or move work to another device, worried they might miss a detail or make a mistake. This shows up most often when filling out forms (26%), checking accounts, contracts, or official documents (21%), and making payments or money transfers (19%).
Users increasingly see the evolution of foldable devices as a practical answer to these needs. The top benefits cited are comparing information side by side on screen (31%), finishing tasks without switching devices (30%), and viewing content, reading, or gaming on a bigger screen (29%).
Device choice plays a defining role here. Smartphones now support a huge share of everyday decision-making. Thanks to their growing processing power, they’ve effectively become pocket-sized control centers running multiple demanding tasks at once.
Nearly half of respondents (48%) use their phone to manage finances, bills, banking, insurance, or forms. More than four in ten (42%) watch videos, play games, or read content while messaging or searching at the same time. Over a third (38%) browse multiple websites or social feeds simultaneously.
As consumers look for devices that combine portability with more screen real estate, foldable smartphones have moved past being a niche innovation and become a practical tool for everyday productivity and entertainment.
Samsung first introduced the foldable category seven years ago. Benjamin Braun, Chief Marketing Officer of Samsung Europe, said everyone’s relationship with technology is different, but people now expect their smartphones to fully support how they live, work, and create.
That’s why device design now matters just as much as technical specs, he added: a device should fit seamlessly into daily use rather than forcing people to adapt to it. He said the survey confirms what seven generations of foldable engineering and ongoing customer conversations have shown: people value the practical size of a regular phone for daily life, but want more screen space when work demands it.
Source: Athens News Agency
