Apple Continuing Work on Folding iPhones, No Launch Until at Least 2026

[xxr]

Simply can't keep up with Apple's innovation. They're so ahead of the curve it's astounding. A folding phone in 2026 will be revolutionary. With any luck there'll be a couple more camera bumps too to make it really easy to hold.

 

[spinedoc77]

Me too. I played with the Google Fold in a local phone shop. Attractive size but the inner screen with a really prominent crease was very distracting. Also, app exploitation of the wider screen was poor. Another problem Apple would want to solve.

Google didn't do well with the crease, my personal opinion based on having it side by side with my ZF5 and I feel Google's has a deeper crease. You should go to a BB and try out a OnePlus Open which has virtually eliminated the crease with their water drop hinge (which Samsung is expected to use in the ZF6).

Google also did a poor job maximizing the use of the screen for apps, this doesn't surprise me seeing Google's terrible tablet implementation of Android which persists to this day. Conversely, Samsung has a TON of optimizations and modes that IMO, after 4 years of using foldables, 99.9% resolve this issue and I can maybe count on one hand the number of apps which don't conform appropriately. OnePlus has also put in a lot of optimizations for this from what I understand.

 

[aibloop]

meh.


Phones have reached equilibrium. They are all equally dull and boring.

 

[dead.cell]

A folding phone in 2026 will be revolutionary.

It will be, if Apple or other companies can get away from the existing problems plaguing them.

• Durability of the folding screen and phone/hinge itself (Samsung at least has the hinge part down)
• Ergonomics
• Mediocre specs to recoup cost
• Use case aside from "bigger screen"

Personally, I'd still like to see something like the Surface Duo form factor make its way into the norm because it at least addresses the problems with having a weak screen or seams. Unfortunately, Microsoft couldn't get neither the hardware nor software right... but I think the idea is still solid, just maybe in someone else's hands.

 

[SactoGuy18]

I think until the likes of Samsung can essentially eliminate the "crease" from a foldable display, Apple may not produce a foldable iPhone, let alone a foldable iPad.

 

[JSDK]

What about two glass panels that make a 99% seamless experience? I think I could live with a slight seam mark.

That could be a solution. But I don't think it's an "Apple solution". There will probably be a dead area, on the line where the screen divides, which will not give a smooth feeling when swiping around the screen. A lot of dust and dirt can also accumulate in that area.

Apple tends to be more thoughtful, and I don't believe they will compromise on the experience that customers have when they swipe on the screen. It just has to work. But we have to see what the future brings.

 

[nottorp]

How will offering a foldable model gimp the nonfoldable versions?
Those who don’t want foldable are happy with regular iPhone.
Those who want a foldable iPhone are happy.
Surely Apple is big enough to offer 2 models of phones.
I bet Apple can walk and chew gum at the same time.

All 3 of us who liked the iphone 1x mini would like a word with you...

 

[roeiz]

foldable phones seem so outdated today, jeez.
why invest in that?
think of new innovations instead

 

[Cape Dave]

foldable phones seem so outdated today, jeez.
why invest in that?
think of new innovations instead

Foldable phone = the lightbar. Sad and pathetic right from the get go.

 

[glambutnerdy]

I like the whole foldable screen concept introduced by Samsung, when it was actually new and cool tech we'd never seen before.

I hate how all the other companies are jumping on the bandwagon now... and even Apple? Feels very samey-samey all over again. It's really depressing we are at a stage now that this is the most innovation we are getting out of these companies. We have iphones, ipads, they have grown ginormous in size and now they can fold to even greater sizes. Cool. Meanwhile I turn on my phone and I might as well have transported back to 2014 because the software and actual day-to-day function is still largely the same.

I don't want to be that person but I just want a 5/5S/SE sized phone that can actually fit my hands and pockets with modern internals/function and (optional) full screen. You can point to iPhone mini sale statistics as a counterpoint but I don't think the demand for that is going to be any more niche than for a €3,999 foldable iPad mini-pro-max or whatever.

 

[Mimisa]

Foldable will make the iPhones two times thicker.

No thank you Apple, only smaller iPhones will fit in our pockets.