A foldable iPhone will flop. Just like the Apple Vision Pro (AVP), it will be a niche product with limited appeal — not the next big thing. Yes, I know there will be a small brigade of you ready to jump in and tell me they want one, and therefore everyone must want one too. But personal desire doesn’t equal market demand.
When Apple announced the AVP, I made the case here on the forums that it would fail to gain general consumer interest. Not because it’s not impressive tech — it is. But because it lacks broad utility and solves no pressing problem for most people. The same logic applies to a foldable iPhone. Here’s why.
The main reasons I listed why the Apple Vision Pro would be a niche product right after it was announced:
Sure. And that’s fine. Enthusiasts like us often love cutting-edge technology. But if you look at the reasons above, this device has niche appeal at best. It will not capture mainstream consumer demand. Just like AVP, it’ll be a showcase product — a status symbol, a curiosity — not a mainstream device.
I suspect Apple is putting out controlled leaks to throw off the competition and has no intention of releasing a foldable iPhone. If they actually do release such a device, they will have lost the plot.
When Apple announced the AVP, I made the case here on the forums that it would fail to gain general consumer interest. Not because it’s not impressive tech — it is. But because it lacks broad utility and solves no pressing problem for most people. The same logic applies to a foldable iPhone. Here’s why.
The main reasons I listed why the Apple Vision Pro would be a niche product right after it was announced:
- It’s an awkward form factor — wearing ski goggles on your face is not how most people want to interact with the world.
- It simulates reality poorly. The highest-fidelity version of reality is… reality.
- It doesn’t solve a widespread problem, and instead creates new ones: isolation, weight, cost, battery life, etc.
- It competes with — but doesn’t outperform — existing Apple devices like iPads, iPhones, and Macs.
- In short, it has no “reason to live” as a mainstream product other than niche applications.
- Compromised form factor: it’s essentially two phones sandwiched together. Thicker. Heavier. Awkward. No matter how sleek Apple tries to make it, the ergonomics will suffer.
- Display trade-offs: to fold, the screen needs to be plastic — not glass and optics will be degraded. That means lower durability, more scratches, and likely a visible crease, even if faint.
- No clear productivity gain: it won’t be large enough to replace an iPad Pro for serious work or multitasking. It’s not going to make spreadsheets, document editing, or design work better.
- It solves nothing: nobody is asking for this. It doesn’t address a real consumer painpoint. It adds complexity to a form factor that’s already perfected: the slab phone.
- It’s outclassed by existing devices: iPhones are great at being phones. iPads are great at being tablets. Laptops are great at being computers. A foldable iPhone is a master of none.
Sure. And that’s fine. Enthusiasts like us often love cutting-edge technology. But if you look at the reasons above, this device has niche appeal at best. It will not capture mainstream consumer demand. Just like AVP, it’ll be a showcase product — a status symbol, a curiosity — not a mainstream device.
I suspect Apple is putting out controlled leaks to throw off the competition and has no intention of releasing a foldable iPhone. If they actually do release such a device, they will have lost the plot.
