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Apple Exploring Viability of Foldable Devices With Touch-Sensitive Chassis

w5jck said:
Any thing that bends will eventually warp out of shape and probably break. I see these foldable phones as a gimmick. They will never have the stability of a solid one piece frame, nor the life expectancy.
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I wouldn't say never*. I mean technology advances and at some point someone will make a device that actually makes the most practical use of a bendable display. Using them in these "clamshell" devices with extremely complex and fragile hinges to hide a seam and bend plastic for the sake of portability is not that use. (Using two screens can basically give you the same functionality.) However, this is a necessary stepping stone use case, which will eventually lead to something better.

I actually think using them to wrap around a structure is a bit more intriguing and has many more possibilities and applications.

*Though it would be extremely hard to imagine that something mechanical could be as stable and durable as something that wasn't. Unless we're talking about earthquake proof buildings, were rigidity can be an issue.
 
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PowerButton said:
Aren’t folding screens more prone to scratches? The idea of one speck of sand in between a folding screen in my pocket slowly etching its mark on the screen is nerve-racking.
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My Fold 4 has much less (actually zero) scratches than my ip14 pro max, mainly because the folding screen is extremely well protected when closed. You aren't wrong when comparing screen to screen, but in actual use they are much more protected when being transported.

I'm also not particularly happy with Apple's screens and scratches, it seems like maybe in the past 2 or 3 generations their screens have become MUCH more prone to microscratches with every day use. Just a couple of months of babied use and my max has a ton of microscratches on it.
 
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flofixer said:
I think the unexpected versatility of being able to angle part of the display to your liking for example when your device is on a table top or nightstand is being underestimated. It's funny to see a product being reviewed before it even exists!
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Yea I don't really do pics, but it did look cool how they used it on the commercial. Or video chat so you could angle it and not have to keep holding the phone or trying to awkwardly prop it at the perfect angle.
 
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MacWiz_007 said:
Disclaimer: if you are not someone who uses a mini tablet/tablet along with a cell phone often and would appreciate having both devices in one, this post is not for you.

I was skeptical at first regarding foldables as well, until I traded in my iPhone 12 Pro Max for the Z Fold 3. I couldn't wait any longer for Apple to release a foldable phone and I was using my iPhone and iPad Mini all the time so I figured it would be great to have a 2 in 1. I have the Z Fold 4 now and I will never go back to a traditional slab phone. I love having a cell phone and mini tablet in one pocketable device. I prefer having the Z Fold 4 in my pocket over the iPhone Pro Max, as the iPhone Pro Max is too wide to be comfortable. The Z Fold 4 is a multi-tasking beast as well. I believe Apple will make a great foldable phone, and if/when they do I will consider coming back to iOS. If you are on the fence at all, give a foldable a try. It is impossible to understand how great they are unless you've owned one. You can always return it, if you don't like it. Android has come a long way over the past 4-5 years, and this is coming from someone who used to absolutely despise it. I found that Android 12 and 13 to be just as stable as iOS, which has gone downhill drastically over the past 3-4 years. For reference, I had owned every iPhone from the 4 to the 12. Food for thought anyway 😁

Side note: I had a Z Flip 4 as a backup phone and it was not good. I just don't understand the appeal of this type of foldable. Having to unfold it all the time for pretty much anything you want to do. It was a huge no-go for me anyway. To each their own though of course.
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Hard agree about software quality. I came back to iOS in 2019 after getting sick of Android. And ever since then iOS has just gotten worse and worse in the ways I care about. Apple is becoming obsessed with services and engagement and ads, all the reasons I left Google.
 
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compwiz1202 said:
Yea I don't really do pics, but it did look cool how they used it on the commercial. Or video chat so you could angle it and not have to keep holding the phone or trying to awkwardly prop it at the perfect angle.
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I don't take many pictures or do many video chats either but when it comes time for a group photo we always use my Fold 4. I can set it down, angle it for the photo, rejoin the group, and yell "cheese" and it will take the photo. It is a beautiful thing! Also, I love it for the handful of video calls I make each year since I can just set the phone down, unfold it and angle it to where I need it, and I'm good to go. I don't have to hold onto the phone the entire call.
 
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I for one won't be buying this gimick folding screen is like going back to a flip phone
 
The trouble is, all those saying "I have no need for this and I won't be buying it." Will.

Remember when the Samsung Note came out, no one in the Apple family was going to buy a phone with a screen that size, there was no need?
 
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I’m still not interested in a foldable as currently marketed and produced. I would rather have thinner and maintain the same battery life.
 
Awesome! Great news to hear Apple is working on foldables! It's about time they freshened up their iPhone lineup with something new and interesting!
 
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"Not everything will apeal to everyone" pretty much sums up this feature as well. Me... I'm more about price. If this costs in excess of $600, then I'll wait for it to go down in price. I'd like to have many of the great features of flagship phones, but not those prices :\
 
MacWiz_007 said:
Disclaimer: if you are not someone who uses a mini tablet/tablet along with a cell phone often and would appreciate having both devices in one, this post is not for you.

I was skeptical at first regarding foldables as well, until I traded in my iPhone 12 Pro Max for the Z Fold 3. I couldn't wait any longer for Apple to release a foldable phone and I was using my iPhone and iPad Mini all the time so I figured it would be great to have a 2 in 1. I have the Z Fold 4 now and I will never go back to a traditional slab phone. I love having a cell phone and mini tablet in one pocketable device. I prefer having the Z Fold 4 in my pocket over the iPhone Pro Max, as the iPhone Pro Max is too wide to be comfortable. The Z Fold 4 is a multi-tasking beast as well. I believe Apple will make a great foldable phone, and if/when they do I will consider coming back to iOS. If you are on the fence at all, give a foldable a try. It is impossible to understand how great they are unless you've owned one. You can always return it, if you don't like it. Android has come a long way over the past 4-5 years, and this is coming from someone who used to absolutely despise it. I found that Android 12 and 13 to be just as stable as iOS, which has gone downhill drastically over the past 3-4 years. For reference, I had owned every iPhone from the 4 to the 12. Food for thought anyway 😁
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💯

I almost made the switch but got cold feet! Not sure if this was already mentioned but the Z Fold isn't just a phone and mini tablet.. it's also a mini computer (a phone...a tablet...a desktop.. are you getting it? 😆). You can dock it, enable Dex, and convert it into a desktop environment! If I didn't game, and thus require a gaming PC, the Z Fold could be the only device I need!
 
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spinedoc77 said:
It's incredible how BASIC, just utterly basic this concept is, yet so many fail to grasp it. I completely get the complaints about the crease, about how thick they are, durability etc. But there are always those who simply can't fathom having something more portable because it's smaller. Yeah I get it, you will still need a messenger bag to carry this sort of device around, but go stick a 20" screen into your messenger bag and tell me having it much smaller isn't a benefit.

The other side of it is different paradigms like quad fold screens. Imagine folding that 20" screen twice into a much smaller (but thicker!!) square.
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This sort of device will have a select market for sure, but not everybody needs or wants to carry a phone around that folds out into the size of an iPad. That’s ok too of course.
 
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y2kpanic said:
💯

I almost made the switch but got cold feet! Not sure if this was already mentioned but the Z Fold isn't just a phone and mini tablet.. it's also a mini computer (a phone...a tablet...a desktop.. are you getting it? 😆). You can dock it, enable Dex, and convert it into a desktop environment! If I didn't game, and thus require a gaming PC, the Z Fold could be the only device I need!
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Yes, Dex is one of the most underrated features of the Z Fold phones. I use this feature all the time with multiple web pages open, streaming and whatnot, and I've never had any issues with performance.
 
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mrat93 said:
I think the main appeal is portability. I have some clothes and jackets where my 14 Pro sticks out of the pocket and is less secure and more prone to theft. I would personally love a little square phone that folds open like a flip phone.

I also miss my 12 mini. Uh oh, is this Apple’s way to make the iPhone mini fans pay twice as much for portability?
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How small are your pockets?!?! Apart from maybe my outside pocket of one of my suit jackets (Which no-one uses for a phone) I can’t think of one pocket on any of my clothes that my 14 Pro can’t fit into with space to fit as well.
 
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Mandalorian1310 said:
How small are your pockets?!?! Apart from maybe my outside pocket of one of my suit jackets (Which no-one uses for a phone) I can’t think of one pocket on any of my clothes that my 14 Pro can’t fit into with space to fit as well.
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Some of my jeans, my 13PM would stick the corner out.
 
n-evo said:
One of my biggest gripes with iOS 16 is that you can hardly rest your finger anywhere on the screen without accidentally triggering something. Let alone the physical chassis will end up doing the same.
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I think ”volume up” being positioned opposite the sleep/power button is quite strange. Many times a manage to sleep the phone when I just want to increase the volume.
 
Mandalorian1310 said:
How small are your pockets?!?! Apart from maybe my outside pocket of one of my suit jackets (Which no-one uses for a phone) I can’t think of one pocket on any of my clothes that my 14 Pro can’t fit into with space to fit as well.
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My back jeans pockets and my outer jacket pockets. It doesn’t stick out to the point where i worry about it falling out. It sticks out just enough to be visible, and I’d rather not walk around with a thousand dollar bill poking out of my pocket.
 
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