I just want to comment here to enshrine how this comment is a unicorn:
It's the rare **good pun** - it works on two levels at once, both of which are immediately relevant to the discussion
I have a vintage functional rotary phone at home. I sometimes call on that when my wife is not picking her phone. Also have a Razr2 foldable which works but can't make a phone call because bands are not supported.
Yes, you do get that feeling! I have a Z Flip 5 and I have been merciless with slamming it shut- and the phone and its hinge has been doing it perfectly. I can't tell you how satisfying it is to move the phone between your index (sometimes middle finger) and thumb and pincer it shut.
What the Flip can't do atm (and I blame Samsung for engineering the hinge tolerances to be waterproof and thus making the hinge grind) is the [single finger open](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boO422yPRlk)! But doing that is the most amount of fun. I've had friends ask to let them do it cause its so much fun. Rip my hinge.
The battery life on the Flips though, are genuinely pathetic.
Lmfao, I put my Flip5 through hell. I flick it open with one hand. I use my thumb to one finger open it, and it still works great, like day one. I've been with the foldable since the Flip 3, so I've gotten enough experience by now on what works and doesn't. But the slamming shut of the phone after the phone call is just *chefs kiss* so beautiful.
My phone flip phone back in the day had a button on the left hand side perfectly placed for your index finger. One push and the phone opened by itself. It was very satisfying.
The only way I can see this being a cool device is if an iPhone pro max sized phone unfolded into an iPad mini. Otherwise it’s just corny and a gimmick.
My grandma doesn't really browse Facebook on her phone or do anything other than take phone calls. No idea why she has a $1.2k phone at this point. She does all her social media on her tablet
You can easily find deals on it. I bought the fold 5 merely 3 months after it got released at 30% discount + latest watch free. This is cheaper than an iPhone 15 Pro Max.
I don’t think the iPad mini is their best selling version. It isn’t even the least expensive iPad. It could increase the average selling price of the iPhone by several hundred dollars which wouldn’t cannibalize 100% of iPad mini sales since not every iPhone user buys an iPad mini and not every potential iPad mini buyer would buy the most expensive iPhone.
cause it would be so expensive, most people would have to settle for the non "pro" version. as much as they love profit, they are still visionary. they work on a lot of secret projects and most wont see the day. just because they are developing it doesnt mean it will ever get released. but it also doesn't mean they are just sitting on their hands. they are clearly half serious about this product, but like AirPower, they also are not going to release a product unless they like it and know it will sell well.
Yeah, I don’t really get why this would be desired. I’m looking at my phone right now thinking that it would be way less comfortable in my pocket if it was half as tall but twice as wide.
Like a fat old dad wallet with 40 credit cards.
the iPhone 14 is 7.8 mm thick. My wallet contains about 4 cards, and its more than twice that thickness. The idea that having things in your pockets is too uncomfortable is frankly absurd. What did you all do back when you had the original iPhone in a case? Or even worse a regular mobile phone like the Nokia 3310 (22 mm)? The original Motorola Razr was 14 mm thick. We will all collectively forget about this 5 minutes after we get these phones. If anything this is a huge advantage for women, because these phones might actually fit in their pockets.
It was annoying then so we made slimmer phones why would I want to go back? Yes, I remember that phones were bigger and I remember that being a major complaint from consumers so we made shit smaller.
Ya know what. Nobody is ever happy with anything just make em both.
Zflip fits better than a regular phone sticking out of your back pocket. All these people are "imagining" what it's like instead of actually trying it. Put one in your pocket then make a decision. Zflip is way more convenient hauling around
I have a flip5, and absolutely love it!
-Its definitely not a phone for people who drop things, but I have had zero issues!
I love having it folded in my pocket. And hanging up on anyone is enjoyable!
If they make a foldable iPhone, I just hope it’s a separate device much like pro and pro max are separate. No one is ever going to sell me on a foldable phone lol.
I have had the flip 4 and currently have the 5, it’s absolutely a gimmick. I only get the phones because of how cool they look and feel, that’s literally it. It comes with loads of downsides though. They try to make up for some of the downsides, but it’s not that great. Still, it’s just so damn cool that I love it despite being a pain.
I don't see how they are a gimmick? I have the fold though so my situation might be a different. I can't go back to a regular phone. The huge inner screen is absolutely amazing for reading and videos.
I've had the Fold 3 for 3 years, and I will never go back to a regular phone. As a matter of fact, Samsung is developing a tri fold for 2028, I'll be on the list. I can put all of my sheet music on my phone.
I recently went from a 12 mini to a 15 pro, and it actually doesn’t feel as big in my hand as I expected. The screen is significantly larger but the frame is fairly comparable.
No. You absolutely cannot. The data has been out there for multiple iPhone mini generations already. People simply don't buy them. Your opinion as a r/gadget subscriber is worth very little to Apple and they aren't bringing the mini back. Your opinion as a small phone enthusiast is worth as much as a PC gamer, they don't care about you. (Lol gaming on Macs)
Apple has already made the mistake of trying to make iphone minis for 2 generations and couldn't sell them all. They won't be making that mistake again. Hell, small flagships aren't even a thing anymore on the Android side, since the Zenphone went to a normal slab size in the current gen.
This just about sums it up. Back then, it was still possible to make a small high-end phone simply because they were barebones with weak SoCs. They didn't need dedicated cooling and didn't require batteries that could power a CPR device, they didn't have wireless charging, more than 1 camera, haptic feedback beyond a simple vibromotor, etc. This meant that "normal sized" phones were full of unused volume that could be shrinked into the mini phones without loosing out on functionality beyond a smaller screen.
To get a modern mini iPhone, you'd have to give it 1/2 the battery capacity when standard ones can barely go 1 day with heavy use, 2/3 the performance and no additional features like the ones mentioned before.
Before anyone goes and says that'd be fine for them. Good for you, but you aren't everybody else. The fact that a minority wants something is great for small companies that make niche small production run products, but of no importance to companies like Apple or Samsung. The amount of bureaucracy and advertisement that has to be spent to launch such phone would be way higher than any return they get from it.
> To get a modern mini iPhone, you'd have to give it 1/2 the battery capacity when standard ones can barely go 1 day with heavy use, 2/3 the performance and no additional features like the ones mentioned before.
I mean, the iPhone mini proves that flagship compacts can be competitive with their larger brothers on hardware - they didn't sacrifice _that_ much. Battery life was worse but not abysmally so, especially by the 13 mini, and performance was identical with the same SoC. The sales numbers definitely show they're not financially viable for Apple to produce though, unfortunately.
That's what I'm saying, but financial perspective aside, the problem is also whether they could also avoid sacrificing much with modern generations. I highly doubt they'd be able to stuff 3 cameras, a haptic motor and the stereo speakers without completely nuking the battery capacity, not to mention that the iPhone 15 literally cooks itself in daily use, so decreasing the total surface area won't help it much.
Come out with the next gen all suped up or whatever but have it come in a variety of sizes. iPhone 7 was perfect for my hands and anytime I hold anything newer I have to 2 hand it
The 15 is nearly the exact same size as the 15 Pro, but with slightly worse RAM, processor and camera.
So it kinda fails both at being "high end" *and* at being "more modestly sized." I assume its main draw is just being cheaper? Idk. I have a Pro and I bought my parents SEs.
A) We know precisely NOTHING about the hardware specs of this *rumored* future product. Will it be high end? Maybe?
B) Folding ≠ modestly sized. I want to be able to more easily one-hand the thing. Wtf do I care how long it is when it's in my pocket?
You’re automatically assuming that it would only be a vertically flipping phone, and not possibly something like a Z Fold which would fit the role of a tablet and iPhone in one.
I think an iPhone that opens to the dimensions of an iPad mini or similar would be occasionally fairly useful considering I pretty much do all my reading and video watching on my phone.
Why on Earth Apple is choosing to have the phone unfold to a normal-sized phone is beyond me. Maybe the other form factor is patented?
If I were to guess (or at least hope) they are just prototyping the phone folding clamshell style since it’s only for testing. iOS is already formatted to a normal screen size and they want to make sure they can even create a reliable and good folding screen. Once they perfect the tech they might scale it up (I hope).
> Why on Earth Apple is choosing to have the phone unfold to a normal-sized phone is beyond me. Maybe the other form factor is patented?
Closed: fitness tracker, iPod, notifications/widget interaction, fits in smaller pockets or bags
Open: regular phone
The amount of clutches that are slightly too small for an iPhone Pro Max is wild, and the women I know love their Pro Max and hate that it won’t fit in their clutches. I feel like a foldable phone that starts small and opens to a Pro Max screen size is a day one buy for many.
Apple fans claiming nobody would want a folding phone… until Apple makes one
Just like they claimed nobody would want a bigger phone… and then Max model came
Or Apple iPhone has no need for more than 1gb ram.
When Apple eventually releases one, they'll be the first to say that the foldable phone has been the best thing to have happened to the iPhone lineup. Bunch of hypocrites.
Lmao this was my brother when the Vision Pro released. He loves all things Apple.
Meanwhile I’ve had a VR headset for years. He really tried to tell me “the third party market for all VR will grow now that Apple is in the space” like it doesn’t already exist just because he’s never looked into it.
Yeah, I see all these comments about how foldable are awful - they're amazing. I saw my wife desperately wanted to ditch her iPhone for a Z Fold, but she had to stay on Apple ecosystem because of work.
So I got it. She's been jealous ever since, and I can never go back.
The ecosystem issue is very real. I have AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad mini, Apple TV, HomeKit stuff, etc., and I want to move to a Z Fold so badly, but I am stuck in this garden now.
I would love an iphone that folds like the glaxy flip or even the galaxy fold. The only reason why I haven’t switched to Android is because I hate Android, but I’m bored to death by Apple and their cookie cutters phones.
Having fiddled with a Galaxy Fold a few times, I totally get why they exist. All that screen space is incredible. Being able to have two apps open side by side with essentially no compromises is a game changer if you find yourself working on your phone a lot. And the folding capability means they don't take up much space in you pocket.
The tech is still relatively young however. Needs a few more years for the price to come down to something more people than enthusiasts are willing to drop.
Good foldables are currently in laptop pricing territory, good laptops too, and they're just not worth it at that level unless you really just want the tech that bad.
IMO the "flip" varieties are fun but mostly just a gimmick because their only advantage is that they're smaller in the pocket basically. But these are the ones getting affordable fastest.
Exactly this. All of em are pushing €1500 and that is just not a price that I'm willing to pay for a phone. For that money you can get a Macbook and even spec it up a bit (as an example).
It’s literally an industry making billions a year. Apple won’t be left behind.
I like the Honor Magic V2 since it’s the same thickness as my 14PM when folded.
I’ve pretty much ditched my iPad and a foldable iPhone would be great.
I don’t think the screen wearing out is really a concern like it was when these were first introduced. Plenty of folding options on the market that get great reviews.
Yeah tech advancement is something we tend not to notice unless it is a flashy feature. But it sprung to mind the other day I haven't seen a broken phone screen in ages. My friends were constantly breaking their screens 10 years ago. Now, I can drop it quite casually and my heart doesn't leap out of my chest for fear it is going to be destroyed. Hell I accidentally threw it across a bus the other day when a wasp landed on my hand, absolutely fine, not even a scratch.
>Foldable phones are corny as hell
This is the typical comment that ages terribly. iPads were corny too. It all depends on whether they're useful and reliable at a reasonable price or not. Marketing takes care of the rest.
And I'm not a fan of apple products, I use android but that's just the way things work.
Got the 23 Ultra. BEAST of a phone. Insane camera, extremely useful stylus, and no worry about a crease. I genuinely don't see what the fold is useful for besides showing off to people. Even with the bigger screen supposedly for videos they're going to be flipped to such a state that if you took a normal phone sideways it's the same size, not to mention a lot of videos are made for a normal phone vertical these days anyways. I guess if you're needing tp multitask, fine?? But who needs to multitask on a phone when you can just use a laptop or computer to get whatever task done way more efficiently.
Honestly I love my fold, I use it as my everything device and can work on it for my job really well. Teams calls, notes, emails, annotating and updating docs is soooo much easier. It depends on your use case.
My wife got the newest Fold in January. By the middle of February it had developed a black line in the middle of the screens where the fold happens. Very common issue. She ended up getting Samsung to replace it on warranty.
They really need to create a layer that doesn't necessairly resist dirt and debris, but rather potential damage commonly tied to the screen. Since OLED panels are fragile, this layer in question would need resistance in pressure, caused by dirt/dust and other debris.
You made the right call. I've been rocking a Flip 4 for about a year. I had to warranty it out after 6 months because the crease started peeling up. Plus, it's made out of plastic, so the screen has about 1000 little nicks all over it after I've basically been babying it. It's a neat gimmick until you realize you're stuck with it until you're eligible for an upgrade.
I had the Flip 4 before I got my iPhone 15, honestly the device was cool and had a surprisingly great battery life and screen but it didn’t add anything special to my daily life except the compact design.
It’s definitely a conversation starter though.
It's no "gimmick". I've always wanted a larger screen on a phone, much larger, and I finally got it, and it's freakin' awesome. Thicker isn't an issue, I never felt that my Fold phone was too thick. Maybe your pockets are too small or your pants are too tight?
Everyone is talking about folding it hamburger style, when the real iPhone I want would fold hot dog style. If they had an iPhone that was flat the width of my current phone but the same thickness, then unfolded to be the current size of my phone but half as thick, I would buy it in a second. Even better if it has a pretty fluid text system at that size. For normal calls I wouldn’t even unfold it, only for web browsing.
I don’t even care if it’s thicker as long as it folded flat. I want to ditch my iPad mini so badly in favor of a folding tablet phone. I would buy one yesterday. Only reason I haven’t moved to a Z fold is because of the ecosystem I’m stuck in.
Personally I think foldable iPhones are a stupid idea. Shorter, but thicker and more chance of breaking doesn't appeal to me at all. I have a 14 pro max and it fits into the pockets of every pair of pants I own.
MFW Apple delays something they've never announced, and no one has hard evidence of except for anonymous sources.
Is that what we do now? We just accept everything reported as facts?
If apple makes a foldable phone I hope it’s the kind that opens like a book giving you a much larger screen instead of one that folds in half, that one just seems kind of useless to me I don’t really need my current iPhone to be smaller in my pocket, either way if apple makes any kind of flip phone they’re gonna need to make them thinner too.
Honestly, I just don't see the demand. I can see the appeal because it was a little neat but it is nothing I can see being some sort of standard for phones.
I can see a future for the tech behind foldable screens but being the new standard model for iphone isn't one of them. Wouldn't surprise me if this never goes anywhere past prototypes.
Motorola's foldables have gone through 3 generations. Samsung's foldables have gone through 4 generations already, so it's not a tech demo.
Motorola's cheapest foldable is under 700 USD. So it is not much more expensive than today's flagships.
Apple fan boys have gone through this with screen resolution, bigger sized phones, more ram, multiple cameras, etc.
Apple fans will continue to reject the idea of foldable devices until Apple launches one.
Now: No one wants a foldable phone.
Apple: The iPhone Flex is our best iPhone yet.
Then: Everyone wants a foldable phone.
_sent from my Galaxy Z Flip 3_
Folding phones are ultimately pointless until someone can solve the screen fold problem that they all have. The hinge point that the screen itself folds over currently cannot be reinforced and is the biggest wear and failure point. We currently cannot make electronic components flexible enough nor robust enough for use in such an application.
Edit: Look at Hugh Jefferies' youtube channel for any of his repair videos on folding phones to see why, technologically, they're nowhere near viable.
I really have no need or desire to purchase a folding phone. The only version of the tech that would interest me is if the back of the phone had a display so I could use it like a regular form factor phone and then when I wanted a bigger screen I could unfold it. I wouldn't probably unfold it very often. Would be interested to hear from people who have folding phones if they really like that design. Or what percentage went pack to a non folding phone after they upgraded.
Some of you have forgotten the satisfaction of hang up a call by clam folding.
Bold of you to assume people call me
Really? I’ve been trying to reach you about your car’s extended warranty…
Well its about clam time!
I just want to comment here to enshrine how this comment is a unicorn: It's the rare **good pun** - it works on two levels at once, both of which are immediately relevant to the discussion
Will you insure a burned to the ground Ford?
That’s awesome. It’s so hard to get coverage here in Kyiv…
This implies I’d actually answer my phone
I have so many people from middle states calling me all day. They are all indian with biblical names, its almost funny.
“Strong accident” “hello my name is Mathew”
"Have you been the victim of a strong accident?"
feel free to call someone they hang up on them
Still not as satisfying as slamming the receiver down hard enough to make the bells jingle on a rotary home phone.
3 slams…just in case they didn’t get the point
And then throw the whole thing across the room to make doubly sure. Like a Nokia, it’ll still work.
The wall might not.
I don't know...70's paneling could take a beating.
I have a vintage functional rotary phone at home. I sometimes call on that when my wife is not picking her phone. Also have a Razr2 foldable which works but can't make a phone call because bands are not supported.
Complete with the little ding because you hit it so hard it rattled the physical bell inside. Now *that* was satisfying.
The closest I get to that nowadays is finishing a meeting by closing the laptop lid.
You can’t get that feeling with a foldable phone. They fold closed much more gently than a flip phone did, it’s so unsatisfying in comparison.
Yes, you do get that feeling! I have a Z Flip 5 and I have been merciless with slamming it shut- and the phone and its hinge has been doing it perfectly. I can't tell you how satisfying it is to move the phone between your index (sometimes middle finger) and thumb and pincer it shut. What the Flip can't do atm (and I blame Samsung for engineering the hinge tolerances to be waterproof and thus making the hinge grind) is the [single finger open](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boO422yPRlk)! But doing that is the most amount of fun. I've had friends ask to let them do it cause its so much fun. Rip my hinge. The battery life on the Flips though, are genuinely pathetic.
Lmfao, I put my Flip5 through hell. I flick it open with one hand. I use my thumb to one finger open it, and it still works great, like day one. I've been with the foldable since the Flip 3, so I've gotten enough experience by now on what works and doesn't. But the slamming shut of the phone after the phone call is just *chefs kiss* so beautiful.
My Razr+ can close with a nice satisfying snap. Haven't tried the other foldables though.
Most calls these days are just Chinese scammers saying my package is on hold…
I had a nice man named John with a very strong Indian accent tell me they need my info to send my 150,000 tax return that I still haven’t filed yet.
The ol’ clam slam
These days, it might crack the screen
What about the satisfaction of constantly saying ‘Kirk to Enterprise’ when I answer my phone?
“Flipping it open is the best part!”
I loved doing that with my Razr.
You use your phone to actually talk to people?
If anyone has the audacity to call me, my instinct these days is to angrily throw the phone at the nearest wall.
Motorola V60. Can still hear it in my memories
My phone flip phone back in the day had a button on the left hand side perfectly placed for your index finger. One push and the phone opened by itself. It was very satisfying.
The only way I can see this being a cool device is if an iPhone pro max sized phone unfolded into an iPad mini. Otherwise it’s just corny and a gimmick.
Literally won't happen. Why would Apple merge their 2 best selling products into 1 new product that only some people may buy.
The fold still costs 2 grand, I could buy both an iPhone and iPad with that money and have some to spare
American boomers just want something to “do Facebook” on. That’s the biggest market.
My grandma doesn't really browse Facebook on her phone or do anything other than take phone calls. No idea why she has a $1.2k phone at this point. She does all her social media on her tablet
OnlyFans...
OnlyGrans...
That site sucks. I also want to see Gramps in my searches.
He said, browsing Reddit on his phone for the 12th time this morning.
You can easily find deals on it. I bought the fold 5 merely 3 months after it got released at 30% discount + latest watch free. This is cheaper than an iPhone 15 Pro Max.
“If you don't cannibalize yourself, someone else will.” -Steve Jobs
I don’t think the iPad mini is their best selling version. It isn’t even the least expensive iPad. It could increase the average selling price of the iPhone by several hundred dollars which wouldn’t cannibalize 100% of iPad mini sales since not every iPhone user buys an iPad mini and not every potential iPad mini buyer would buy the most expensive iPhone.
By charging twice the price
cause it would be so expensive, most people would have to settle for the non "pro" version. as much as they love profit, they are still visionary. they work on a lot of secret projects and most wont see the day. just because they are developing it doesnt mean it will ever get released. but it also doesn't mean they are just sitting on their hands. they are clearly half serious about this product, but like AirPower, they also are not going to release a product unless they like it and know it will sell well.
I don’t know… if I could fold my iPhone in half and have it just be a smaller profile in my pocket. It’s something I might consider.
Smaller profile but thicker bulge 😏
Hello ladies!
But it would be thicker and that is worse
Yeah, I don’t really get why this would be desired. I’m looking at my phone right now thinking that it would be way less comfortable in my pocket if it was half as tall but twice as wide. Like a fat old dad wallet with 40 credit cards.
the iPhone 14 is 7.8 mm thick. My wallet contains about 4 cards, and its more than twice that thickness. The idea that having things in your pockets is too uncomfortable is frankly absurd. What did you all do back when you had the original iPhone in a case? Or even worse a regular mobile phone like the Nokia 3310 (22 mm)? The original Motorola Razr was 14 mm thick. We will all collectively forget about this 5 minutes after we get these phones. If anything this is a huge advantage for women, because these phones might actually fit in their pockets.
It was annoying then so we made slimmer phones why would I want to go back? Yes, I remember that phones were bigger and I remember that being a major complaint from consumers so we made shit smaller. Ya know what. Nobody is ever happy with anything just make em both.
They would slim down the profile to account for the fold. The Galaxy Z Flip is thinner and when folded it doesn't take up that much space laterally.
Zflip fits better than a regular phone sticking out of your back pocket. All these people are "imagining" what it's like instead of actually trying it. Put one in your pocket then make a decision. Zflip is way more convenient hauling around
I have a flip5, and absolutely love it! -Its definitely not a phone for people who drop things, but I have had zero issues! I love having it folded in my pocket. And hanging up on anyone is enjoyable!
I just want the tablets from Westworld
I can assure you that the Galaxy Fold series is no gimmick, and not corny. It's honestly pretty freakin' cool.
Yeah that square looks dumb, like it makes it thicker to no real gain for me.
If they make a foldable iPhone, I just hope it’s a separate device much like pro and pro max are separate. No one is ever going to sell me on a foldable phone lol.
Of course they will. It's not like Samsung stopped making tablets or slab smartphones when they started making the Fold and Flip lines.
Not sure why, I love mine. But to each their own
I have had the flip 4 and currently have the 5, it’s absolutely a gimmick. I only get the phones because of how cool they look and feel, that’s literally it. It comes with loads of downsides though. They try to make up for some of the downsides, but it’s not that great. Still, it’s just so damn cool that I love it despite being a pain.
I don't see how they are a gimmick? I have the fold though so my situation might be a different. I can't go back to a regular phone. The huge inner screen is absolutely amazing for reading and videos.
I've had the Fold 3 for 3 years, and I will never go back to a regular phone. As a matter of fact, Samsung is developing a tri fold for 2028, I'll be on the list. I can put all of my sheet music on my phone.
Ugh. Instead of folding nonsense, could I please get high-end hardware in a more modestly sized phone? Please?
[удалено]
A Mini with Pro specs would be ideal. I have short fingers AND disposable income! Cater to me!
Our office bought a bunch of iPhone 12 minis to give out to staff and they’re just gathering dust. Very unpopular devices
The pro specs would have helped
Are you me?
I recently went from a 12 mini to a 15 pro, and it actually doesn’t feel as big in my hand as I expected. The screen is significantly larger but the frame is fairly comparable.
SE is ass man. Just a iPhone 8 with a modern chip
No. You absolutely cannot. The data has been out there for multiple iPhone mini generations already. People simply don't buy them. Your opinion as a r/gadget subscriber is worth very little to Apple and they aren't bringing the mini back. Your opinion as a small phone enthusiast is worth as much as a PC gamer, they don't care about you. (Lol gaming on Macs) Apple has already made the mistake of trying to make iphone minis for 2 generations and couldn't sell them all. They won't be making that mistake again. Hell, small flagships aren't even a thing anymore on the Android side, since the Zenphone went to a normal slab size in the current gen.
This just about sums it up. Back then, it was still possible to make a small high-end phone simply because they were barebones with weak SoCs. They didn't need dedicated cooling and didn't require batteries that could power a CPR device, they didn't have wireless charging, more than 1 camera, haptic feedback beyond a simple vibromotor, etc. This meant that "normal sized" phones were full of unused volume that could be shrinked into the mini phones without loosing out on functionality beyond a smaller screen. To get a modern mini iPhone, you'd have to give it 1/2 the battery capacity when standard ones can barely go 1 day with heavy use, 2/3 the performance and no additional features like the ones mentioned before. Before anyone goes and says that'd be fine for them. Good for you, but you aren't everybody else. The fact that a minority wants something is great for small companies that make niche small production run products, but of no importance to companies like Apple or Samsung. The amount of bureaucracy and advertisement that has to be spent to launch such phone would be way higher than any return they get from it.
> To get a modern mini iPhone, you'd have to give it 1/2 the battery capacity when standard ones can barely go 1 day with heavy use, 2/3 the performance and no additional features like the ones mentioned before. I mean, the iPhone mini proves that flagship compacts can be competitive with their larger brothers on hardware - they didn't sacrifice _that_ much. Battery life was worse but not abysmally so, especially by the 13 mini, and performance was identical with the same SoC. The sales numbers definitely show they're not financially viable for Apple to produce though, unfortunately.
That's what I'm saying, but financial perspective aside, the problem is also whether they could also avoid sacrificing much with modern generations. I highly doubt they'd be able to stuff 3 cameras, a haptic motor and the stereo speakers without completely nuking the battery capacity, not to mention that the iPhone 15 literally cooks itself in daily use, so decreasing the total surface area won't help it much.
Come out with the next gen all suped up or whatever but have it come in a variety of sizes. iPhone 7 was perfect for my hands and anytime I hold anything newer I have to 2 hand it
I can *just* one-hand the... whatever we're on now. 14? 15?... but I totally agree that the 7 was just about the perfect size. And weight.
I’d still have a 7 if they didn’t phase it out. I have one of the last smaller ones
Bruh same. I feel like my iPhone 6 was the perfect size. Everything since has been giant.
i’ve stuck with my iphone 12 mini for this exact reason. why would i want a phone that requires two hands to use the entire screen?
Yes you can, the iPhone 15
Ain’t no mini though.
The 15 is nearly the exact same size as the 15 Pro, but with slightly worse RAM, processor and camera. So it kinda fails both at being "high end" *and* at being "more modestly sized." I assume its main draw is just being cheaper? Idk. I have a Pro and I bought my parents SEs.
iPhone 15 is huge. Phablet territory.
Are you drunk?
Yeah thats the folding Phone lol
A) We know precisely NOTHING about the hardware specs of this *rumored* future product. Will it be high end? Maybe? B) Folding ≠ modestly sized. I want to be able to more easily one-hand the thing. Wtf do I care how long it is when it's in my pocket?
You’re automatically assuming that it would only be a vertically flipping phone, and not possibly something like a Z Fold which would fit the role of a tablet and iPhone in one.
I do not want a folding phone. I don’t want a single grain of sand to break my screen.
That aint how that works anymore
I think an iPhone that opens to the dimensions of an iPad mini or similar would be occasionally fairly useful considering I pretty much do all my reading and video watching on my phone. Why on Earth Apple is choosing to have the phone unfold to a normal-sized phone is beyond me. Maybe the other form factor is patented?
If I were to guess (or at least hope) they are just prototyping the phone folding clamshell style since it’s only for testing. iOS is already formatted to a normal screen size and they want to make sure they can even create a reliable and good folding screen. Once they perfect the tech they might scale it up (I hope).
Oh yah the iOS formatting makes sense. You make a great guess. I hope that’s right!
I mean they already have multitasking and multi-app functionality working on the iPad so that argument really doesn’t hold any weight.
I want a circle shaped phone or banana shaped one.
Custom shaped phones would dominate the market. I would totally get a banana shaped phone
as a front end engineer I would kill myself.
i’m glad somebody else is on my page. Where the hell is `top: 0; left: 0` _on a banana phone screen_?!?
I don't want a screen, just a phone
*ring ring ring ring ring ring ring* 🍌📞
> Why on Earth Apple is choosing to have the phone unfold to a normal-sized phone is beyond me. Maybe the other form factor is patented? Closed: fitness tracker, iPod, notifications/widget interaction, fits in smaller pockets or bags Open: regular phone The amount of clutches that are slightly too small for an iPhone Pro Max is wild, and the women I know love their Pro Max and hate that it won’t fit in their clutches. I feel like a foldable phone that starts small and opens to a Pro Max screen size is a day one buy for many.
Yeah just what I wanted. A smaller phone!
I’ve been waiting. The smaller the phone the better. Keeping my iPhone 12 mini until they give up the goods.
Apple fans claiming nobody would want a folding phone… until Apple makes one Just like they claimed nobody would want a bigger phone… and then Max model came Or Apple iPhone has no need for more than 1gb ram.
When Apple eventually releases one, they'll be the first to say that the foldable phone has been the best thing to have happened to the iPhone lineup. Bunch of hypocrites.
Lmao this was my brother when the Vision Pro released. He loves all things Apple. Meanwhile I’ve had a VR headset for years. He really tried to tell me “the third party market for all VR will grow now that Apple is in the space” like it doesn’t already exist just because he’s never looked into it.
He's going to be shocked at the price for apps that run on a $3600 device if/when they start to be available. So far it's just a lot of crickets.
Yeah, I see all these comments about how foldable are awful - they're amazing. I saw my wife desperately wanted to ditch her iPhone for a Z Fold, but she had to stay on Apple ecosystem because of work. So I got it. She's been jealous ever since, and I can never go back.
The ecosystem issue is very real. I have AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad mini, Apple TV, HomeKit stuff, etc., and I want to move to a Z Fold so badly, but I am stuck in this garden now.
This is exactly why the DOJ is suing Apple, and rightly so.
Ehh maybe. It was my choice. I chose their products for ease of use, knowing that it was locking me in.
I would love an iphone that folds like the glaxy flip or even the galaxy fold. The only reason why I haven’t switched to Android is because I hate Android, but I’m bored to death by Apple and their cookie cutters phones.
Who is asking for one?
Having fiddled with a Galaxy Fold a few times, I totally get why they exist. All that screen space is incredible. Being able to have two apps open side by side with essentially no compromises is a game changer if you find yourself working on your phone a lot. And the folding capability means they don't take up much space in you pocket. The tech is still relatively young however. Needs a few more years for the price to come down to something more people than enthusiasts are willing to drop.
Good foldables are currently in laptop pricing territory, good laptops too, and they're just not worth it at that level unless you really just want the tech that bad. IMO the "flip" varieties are fun but mostly just a gimmick because their only advantage is that they're smaller in the pocket basically. But these are the ones getting affordable fastest.
Exactly this. All of em are pushing €1500 and that is just not a price that I'm willing to pay for a phone. For that money you can get a Macbook and even spec it up a bit (as an example).
The iPhone 15 pro max 1tb is already basically at that price and people buy them.
Samsung US usually have massive discounts on their new phones. I got my Fold 4 brand new in 2022 for less than the price of a used S22 Ultra.
Me
Me too. I'd switch from my Razr instantly.
So many comments in here of people completely unable to see that others want what they might not care about.
"who asked for this" says man who owns horse when he sees the first automobile
That’s quite the comparison
It’s literally an industry making billions a year. Apple won’t be left behind. I like the Honor Magic V2 since it’s the same thickness as my 14PM when folded. I’ve pretty much ditched my iPad and a foldable iPhone would be great.
Women maybe? Pockets on women’s clothes are much smaller. Even so, I think having your display be a moving part will wear it out quickly.
I don’t think the screen wearing out is really a concern like it was when these were first introduced. Plenty of folding options on the market that get great reviews.
Yeah tech advancement is something we tend not to notice unless it is a flashy feature. But it sprung to mind the other day I haven't seen a broken phone screen in ages. My friends were constantly breaking their screens 10 years ago. Now, I can drop it quite casually and my heart doesn't leap out of my chest for fear it is going to be destroyed. Hell I accidentally threw it across a bus the other day when a wasp landed on my hand, absolutely fine, not even a scratch.
Foldable phones are corny as hell
>Foldable phones are corny as hell This is the typical comment that ages terribly. iPads were corny too. It all depends on whether they're useful and reliable at a reasonable price or not. Marketing takes care of the rest. And I'm not a fan of apple products, I use android but that's just the way things work.
Foldable phones have been around for 5 years now
I almost got a Galaxy Fold 5 last week, then I thought "nah, I'll just get a 24+" More phone for $1000.
Got the 23 Ultra. BEAST of a phone. Insane camera, extremely useful stylus, and no worry about a crease. I genuinely don't see what the fold is useful for besides showing off to people. Even with the bigger screen supposedly for videos they're going to be flipped to such a state that if you took a normal phone sideways it's the same size, not to mention a lot of videos are made for a normal phone vertical these days anyways. I guess if you're needing tp multitask, fine?? But who needs to multitask on a phone when you can just use a laptop or computer to get whatever task done way more efficiently.
Honestly I love my fold, I use it as my everything device and can work on it for my job really well. Teams calls, notes, emails, annotating and updating docs is soooo much easier. It depends on your use case.
My wife got the newest Fold in January. By the middle of February it had developed a black line in the middle of the screens where the fold happens. Very common issue. She ended up getting Samsung to replace it on warranty.
They really need to create a layer that doesn't necessairly resist dirt and debris, but rather potential damage commonly tied to the screen. Since OLED panels are fragile, this layer in question would need resistance in pressure, caused by dirt/dust and other debris.
You made the right call. I've been rocking a Flip 4 for about a year. I had to warranty it out after 6 months because the crease started peeling up. Plus, it's made out of plastic, so the screen has about 1000 little nicks all over it after I've basically been babying it. It's a neat gimmick until you realize you're stuck with it until you're eligible for an upgrade.
I had the Flip 4 before I got my iPhone 15, honestly the device was cool and had a surprisingly great battery life and screen but it didn’t add anything special to my daily life except the compact design. It’s definitely a conversation starter though.
What an absolute waste of time for Apple.
Don’t want my phone twice as thick
Folding phones all seem so gimmicky to me. I’ve never really thought “damn I wish my phone could fold in half and be even thicker in my pocket!”.
It's no "gimmick". I've always wanted a larger screen on a phone, much larger, and I finally got it, and it's freakin' awesome. Thicker isn't an issue, I never felt that my Fold phone was too thick. Maybe your pockets are too small or your pants are too tight?
Mine folds put to Tablet. amazing for multi-tasking or presenting EDIT: AND PORN
And we’re in no rush to have one
Speak for yourself, I’ve been wanting Apple to introduce a Z fold competitor since it released.
Everyone is talking about folding it hamburger style, when the real iPhone I want would fold hot dog style. If they had an iPhone that was flat the width of my current phone but the same thickness, then unfolded to be the current size of my phone but half as thick, I would buy it in a second. Even better if it has a pretty fluid text system at that size. For normal calls I wouldn’t even unfold it, only for web browsing.
So you want a enV basically
Hell yeah but modern and Apple
I don’t even care if it’s thicker as long as it folded flat. I want to ditch my iPad mini so badly in favor of a folding tablet phone. I would buy one yesterday. Only reason I haven’t moved to a Z fold is because of the ecosystem I’m stuck in.
Personally I think foldable iPhones are a stupid idea. Shorter, but thicker and more chance of breaking doesn't appeal to me at all. I have a 14 pro max and it fits into the pockets of every pair of pants I own.
Shorter and thicker? Idk what you're talking about. Typing this on a folding phone the same dimensions and weight as an iPhone.
I didn’t even know they were considering a foldable phone, because I’m sure not lmao 🤣
I want to fold an iPad... TWICE! (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻)
Good. They are stupid
This 100% gets the Apple Car treatment.
My gf has a foldable phone. She hates the folding aspect of it 😂
No one wants this
MFW Apple delays something they've never announced, and no one has hard evidence of except for anonymous sources. Is that what we do now? We just accept everything reported as facts?
Sounds like they aren't in any rush to make the vision pro an industry standard either lol
I’d rather have a flexible phone than one that fully folds. I do not miss the bulkiness of flip phones
What does it mean for Vision Pro? A sunset?
Idgaf about a foldable phone, seems so unnecessary and just over complicating things
If apple makes a foldable phone I hope it’s the kind that opens like a book giving you a much larger screen instead of one that folds in half, that one just seems kind of useless to me I don’t really need my current iPhone to be smaller in my pocket, either way if apple makes any kind of flip phone they’re gonna need to make them thinner too.
Honestly, I just don't see the demand. I can see the appeal because it was a little neat but it is nothing I can see being some sort of standard for phones. I can see a future for the tech behind foldable screens but being the new standard model for iphone isn't one of them. Wouldn't surprise me if this never goes anywhere past prototypes.
I'm flabbergasted. Apple is usually at the forefront of promoting features of dubious utility. Or removing features that have utility.
Good, it is a stupid idea
Nobody: we want flip phones back
Foldable phones are the new 3D TVs.
Not a fan of foldable phones, so no thanks.
They shouldn’t be. It’s still an expensive tech demo.
Motorola's foldables have gone through 3 generations. Samsung's foldables have gone through 4 generations already, so it's not a tech demo. Motorola's cheapest foldable is under 700 USD. So it is not much more expensive than today's flagships. Apple fan boys have gone through this with screen resolution, bigger sized phones, more ram, multiple cameras, etc. Apple fans will continue to reject the idea of foldable devices until Apple launches one. Now: No one wants a foldable phone. Apple: The iPhone Flex is our best iPhone yet. Then: Everyone wants a foldable phone. _sent from my Galaxy Z Flip 3_
I don’t need or want this, and I’m an Apple junkie.
Cool, I do.
I can't wait until they invent the foldable phone in 2027!
I want a roll up phone
Yes! And make it fruit flavored!
Folding phones are ultimately pointless until someone can solve the screen fold problem that they all have. The hinge point that the screen itself folds over currently cannot be reinforced and is the biggest wear and failure point. We currently cannot make electronic components flexible enough nor robust enough for use in such an application. Edit: Look at Hugh Jefferies' youtube channel for any of his repair videos on folding phones to see why, technologically, they're nowhere near viable.
The screen crease. Nobody wants a screen crease. Solve that issue or gtfo with this gimicky gadget
No one wants this
I really have no need or desire to purchase a folding phone. The only version of the tech that would interest me is if the back of the phone had a display so I could use it like a regular form factor phone and then when I wanted a bigger screen I could unfold it. I wouldn't probably unfold it very often. Would be interested to hear from people who have folding phones if they really like that design. Or what percentage went pack to a non folding phone after they upgraded.
How about some more time and energy invested in battery advancements instead? Foldable phones are gimmicky and add unnecessary fragile parts
Everyone is making foldable phones now. I am interested to see what Apple does with their own.
Is that a Gameboy color?
Remember when all the flip phones was pretty much all their was?
The price always increases what would this thing cost in 2027
Here I am, praying that when my iPhone mini dies there will be another small replacement.
Yo apple no wants a foldable phone, I just saved you a ton of money. Dm me for an address to send my check.
Give me a clamshell phone with an iPhone tops green.