Well done. I haven’t seen this level of trolling in a while.
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Other A Foldable iPhone will Flop
- Thread starter Pbwallstreet
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Cool. So a client of yours asked you to put together talking points on why foldables will be the next big thing...
... and you outsourced the work to us?
When do I get paid?
It makes a lot more sense than the iPhone Air - a worse spec phone than base/Pro with the only benefit being thin. But then iPhone Air is probably somewhat just a test run of half a foldable anyway.
Probably not for me, but the current foldable Androids are pretty popular. Obviously by pretty popular that's pretty popular in the expensive top-spec part of the phone market. I saw someone say it's ~2%, but when you think of the millions of cheap phones sold around the world, that's probably a pretty premium part of the business and gotta be as popular as the Air I'm guessing.
Probably not for me, but the current foldable Androids are pretty popular. Obviously by pretty popular that's pretty popular in the expensive top-spec part of the phone market. I saw someone say it's ~2%, but when you think of the millions of cheap phones sold around the world, that's probably a pretty premium part of the business and gotta be as popular as the Air I'm guessing.
When some sort of glasses or headset becomes cheap and light enough, it will replace movie theaters and TVs. Most people arrange their living room around a TV. This has not evolved since the birth of television except for hanging TVs on walls. At best, only two people get a good view despite all the effort and living rooms look far worse than pre-TV layouts, which were designed for conversations. Today's Apple Vision Pro is already more immersive even for traditional 2D movies let alone 3D. It's too expensive and heavy. The revolution is coming.
As for a foldable iPhone, I agree that the market seems limited. I can see it appealing to Pro Max users and also people who want a combination iPhone and iPad. It will be interesting if Apple offers a keyboard case.
It served a purpose for me, the drama is entertaining on a slow workday.
Many commenters are pointing out that your post is opinion. It is, although you deny it. You never defined "flop" in a way that can be tested (X% of iPhone shipments, fiscal loss for Apple, market share retention, etc.), you made a strawman argument ("there will be a small brigade"), you make absolute claims ("no productivity gain", "solves nothing", "nobody is asking for this") without any clear definitions or evidence, you assume the "slab phone" is perfected (if so, why does Apple or Samsung or any company make any changes to them year to year -- only to sell new ones or because they figure out ways to improve on what's already there?), you assume that because iPhones and iPads already exist there's no benefit from a single device, etc.
It's fine if you don't like the idea of a foldable iPhone. It's fine to think it will be a niche product. However, what you wrote is more akin to an op-ed than something objective.
It's fine if you don't like the idea of a foldable iPhone. It's fine to think it will be a niche product. However, what you wrote is more akin to an op-ed than something objective.
Yup. The real question is how soon and how successfully the global market moves from bifolds to trifolds. Huawei already has one and Samsung will have one soon. I wonder if Apple will follow them in 5 years or so.
watching videos, reading, playing games, doom scrolling... pretty much any phone use.
Sure, but is it actually relevant?
The world over has already accepted the iPhone 17 form factor and its footprint.
Your argument is basically like saying Air is so much thinner than Pro Max. Now that Air is out, Pro Max will be a flop. It assumes there’s absolutely zero benefit to a folding phone.
You seem like a rational individual, but that does that actually make sense to you?
Apple is committing hundreds of millions of dollars to suppliers, which can’t be faked, just to fool their competitors? To what end? Every competitor from Huawei and Samsung has already been making foldables for the past five years.
Flop as I have discussed is a lack of wide consumer adoption. Specifically that it will not replace non-foldable smartphones and become mainstream. That it will just be a niche product. I said niche many times, niche. I make my comments in context: that there are other competing devices, as I have mentioned many times, that a foldable smartphone has to compete with. There has to be a reason for someone to buy this foldable smartphone that would be used as a smartphone and a tablet over and above non-foldable tablets and smartphones. You likely won't get all of the productivity gains for instance with a foldable that would would get with a dedicated tablet with a larger screen, running iPad OS with the multi-tasking etc. The aspect ratio of a foldable being mostly square is also an issue...
I have a Palm PDA. When you put it beside a brand new 2025 iPhone, or even a first generation iPhone, it is effectively the same thing: a grid of icons with individual Apps. I also have a Newton from 1993 with the same grid of icons. Marketing grabs people but what we have today isn't that much different at a fundamental level than these old devices. And the same goes for desktop computers... the desktop, the trash can, the same interactions that all started at Xerox PARC in the 70s.
Not much has actually changed with the exception of multi-touch... and what won't change is Apple switching to plastic screens on all of their smartphones because that will make the screen worse.
Never underestimate the power and reach of "influencer" fashionistas.
Fujifilm STILL can make enough X100Vs (and now X100VIs) for that crowd. This phone could really take off.
Fujifilm STILL can make enough X100Vs (and now X100VIs) for that crowd. This phone could really take off.
I’m asking why for a reason. People use smartphones for its intended purpose: it’s mobile. A key driver of why people use smartphones is its portability and ability to use it with one hand.
Remember when Netbooks were a very small portion of computer market share? Remember when convertible laptops were a very small portion of computer market share?
Clicked 'No' in error. I will buy a foldable iPhone as I already use my phone like an iPad and do all my personal computing on it - so a tablet I can fold and put in my pocket = sign me up (as long as pricing isn't crazy, I'm thinking £1600 max). I held a foldable for the first time a few weeks ago - Samsung Z Galaxy Fold 7, and was blown away by the build quality and feel in hand. Amazing engineering.
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No. I develop software for hardware. We optimize interfaces and work with many smartphones and tablets. I have worked with physicists conducting studies, done side-by-side comparisons of productive output on smartphones vs. tablets (e.g., the amount of force required on an elbow joint to hold a tablet vs. a smartphone given a certain arm length, etc.).Software -----> Hardware Biiiiiiiig Difference
Just because something has a bigger screen, doesn't mean it will be more productive. The iPad has productivity well polished now, with the new multi-tasking in its software and updated gestures. Smartphones can be quite productive as well, because they are efficient with one handed use.
Yeah I was just "inverting" OPs argument as a bit of a joke. I don't really give such statements (in either direction) much weight, because who knows which products will "flop". I get the feeling some people just say this about every product, and someday they'll eventually be correct just to then say "I told you so".
What would even classify this as a "flop"? Is Apple aiming to make this the best-selling iPhone ever? Probably not. Sure they'll want to sell quite a few, but just because the 18 Pro or 18 regular might sell way better doesn't make this a flop.
Samsung recently released the seventh iteration of their foldable and they expanded it to another form factor (flip phone) two or three generations in. Their regular Galaxy S series outsells these foldables, but if they'd be flopping, Samsung would've probably stopped a couple of generations ago.
I don't think it's a gigantic investment for Apple either, sure you need a lot of R&D for the foldable display tech and miniaturization, but most parts of a foldable are just smartphone parts that Apple is developing anyway, and vice-versa the other devices benefit from some of the R&D for the foldable (see this years Air but also the 17 Pro).
Even if it's mainly a halo product that some people actually find useful enough to buy, is it really a flop?
First off, it's still a rumor, the flop will depend on what is released. Based on your poll 48.1% (as of the time of this writing) said they would get one. I agree with a lot of what you said, but less people wanting it put me in a better position to get it launch day :-D