Analyst: Foldable iPhone Likely to Ship in December, iPhone 18 Plus is Possible Next Year

[Havalo]

I stand firm that the mini line wasn’t discontinued due to “low sales” but that it would take away from sales of more expensive iPhones. If they brought back the mini line, I’d likely go back to upgrading every year.

I completely agree - this is the same rationale behind Apple's decision not to provide a downgrade option for major OS versions!

 

[sparkie7]

Will Apple Care fix the crease line in the foldable iPhone?

 

[tridley68]

18 Pro max yes foldable gimmick big pass

 

[Keymaster]

Why foldable iPhone? Apple, bring back iPhone mini.

The fPhone might just be the Mini replacement...if you look at the rumored specs it's not really too different in size from my 13 Mini. The two sides add up to a bit more than the Mini's thickness, so if it folds flat that will be about the same (and mine is in a case so it would effectively be smaller for me), the folded screen size is pretty close, and the only time I've seen a weight mentioned it was roughly the same too.

So, if you use the fPhone folded, it's going to feel pretty close to a Mini, theoretically. But, for once the smallest phone will have the top specs (except for the camera), and will be the flagship. It's going to be more expensive obviously, that goes with being the flagship, but it will mean we can have the advantage of a small iPhone for one handed usage but then be able to open it up for appropriate uses.

I worry about what's going to happen if my Mini has an issue...it's hanging in there so far and I have it wrapped in protection (I've had more screen protectors break with this phone too, thanks to raising a toddler), and the battery is ok for now. It's a 4 1/2 year old phone though, eventually it's going to have to go...I'm about where I was with my iPhone 5, I had to go up to the X and was not at all happy with the size of it. I don't see Apple making another Mini anytime soon, though if they were smart they would bring one out every 4-5 years to keep the few percent who buy them happy, because most of us want to stick with a smaller phone and resist upgrading to a bigger one (even when the prices is the same). Maybe someone at Apple will finally get it, or maybe all of us Mini users will grab a fPhone when it shows up because it works and will be top spec for a change. I guess we'll see sometime this year.

 

[mrat93]

Your logic here makes no sense, the iPhone 12 mini was £699 at launch, the regular iPhone 12 was £799. Today you can buy an iPhone 17e for £100 less than what the iPhone 12 mini was at launch.

I’m not exactly sure what your point is.

The mini had too many compromises (primarily battery life) which would be less applicable today with more efficient chips.

My main point was that if Apple provided a smaller alternative to any line (base model, Pro, or ‘e’) for $100 less, many people would opt for the smaller one, which is essentially $100 less profit per phone.

It’s tough to predict because there used to be a $399 model (SE 2 and SE 3) which was smaller than all other iPhones, but had the downside of being extremely dated in many ways.

What if the people who really want smaller phones can afford the foldable? It’s wide but it’s also short, so I think that the foldable would fill the niche for a lot of small phone enthusiasts, while boosting profit margins significantly.

 

[MrMojo1]

18 Plus with a 120Hz screen will basically make the Pro Max useless to me considering the cost & don’t need a fancy camera.
The size of the screen would be great for those with aging eyes.

 

[The Game 161]

All rumours point to foldable iPhone having same main camera as 18 pros with variable aperture so really it's just missing the telephoto lens cameras will be same apart from that