Apple is Exploring an 'iPhone Flip'

[theorist9]

One thing Apple could do with a flip is to not have if fold entirely in half, leaving maybe 15 mm at the bottom uncovered. That 15 mm wide section could then be made double-thickness, allowing the inclusion of a camera without needing a camera bump.

E.g., the iPhone Air's slab section is 5.6 mm, and the camera bump protrudes by 5.7 mm. Thus they needd 11.3 mm for the camera. So if they made a foldable of that slab thickness, then folded it would be 5.6 x 2 mm =11.2 mm, so the double-thickness strip at the bottom could accommodate the camera while staying nearly flush with the folded phone.

 

[ChrisMac47]

One thing Apple could do with a flip is to not have if fold entirely in half, leaving maybe 15 mm at the bottom uncovered. That 15 mm wide section could then be made double-thickness, allowing the inclusion of a camera without needing a camera bump.

E.g., the iPhone Air's slab section is 5.6 mm, and the camera bump protrudes by 5.7 mm. Thus they needd 11.3 mm for the camera. So if they made a foldable of that slab thickness, then folded it would be 5.6 x 2 mm =11.2 mm, so the double-thickness strip at the bottom could accommodate the camera while staying nearly flush with the folded phone.

Yes, that a possible way forward. Apple and the others have to be more innovative and get us out of the glass/metal-slab rut we are all in!

 

[aknabi]

"Apple is "exploring" the idea of a foldable iPhone"...

Regarless of what anyone thinks or gets triggered by Apple should "explore" any possible form factor... tri-fold, heck check out how a diagonal folding screen for a triangle shape plays. Most won't pan out, but you get learnings that you can apply.

 

[erihp]

I will buy the iPhone Flip on the first day, no matter how much it will cost.

2499$?

Perfectly fine, just make another compact iPhone finally.

Despite the popular myth, the price doesn't matter at all to those who are looking for a new small iPhone after the iPhone 13 Mini.

iPhone Flip could be a breath of fresh air in this hopeless world infused with gigantic screens and a sick mindset.

eeeeasy, lets say $1299 lol

 

[brilliantthings]

Wow, Apple has yet to release a foldable, while Samsung is 7 years in. Even with these facts, there's no shame or level of ignorance too low, for some people's blindly loyalty, and claim it's Apple with the innovation. Absolutely shocking, but not surprising.

That's like saying that in 2007 Apple didn't innovate because they hadn't yet made a smartphone while Nokia had already made smartphones for many years.
Why does Samsung's seven year history of selling foldable phones that no one wants to buy have anything to do with this?
(Btw... I managed to say that without any personal attacks)

 

[chmania]

Why does Samsung's seven year history of selling foldable phones that no one wants to buy ...

By the end of 2025, the total number of Samsung foldable phones sold (Flip and Fold series combined) since 2019 is well in excess of 30-40 million...

 

[geta]

They should bring back the Mini instead of all this folding nonsense.

 

[Alfonson]

Keep it. In the feature-phone days I preferred candy-bar phones to flip-phones. Thinner in your pocket, less mass and volume (due to lack of hinges), cheaper overall.

I miss those days.

I still don't "get" this obsession with foldable smartphones. But if you enjoy paying more for a chunk device that'll develop a crease in the display, U do U.

Come back when we have displays with paper-like flexibility.

How can you miss those days? All those phones were just terrible and annoying to use

 

[Ifti]

Apple doesnt innovate, huh?

Yeh, they just copy other designs and call it 'innovation'.

 

[madrich]

I still have my original Razr and Sony W980 flip phones. Put me on the list for an Apple iPhone Flip!

 

[beermode]

I would pay good money for this. It's something I always wanted from Apple.

 

[jouster]

As a fan of book-style foldables, flip designs don't make sense to me. They just unfold to a slab phone, so why pay more for added complexity that doesn't bring any new functionality or benefit?

Because there’s nothing more satisfying than ending a call by snapping the phone shut.

 

[macsound1]

One thing Apple could do with a flip is to not have if fold entirely in half, leaving maybe 15 mm at the bottom uncovered. That 15 mm wide section could then be made double-thickness, allowing the inclusion of a camera without needing a camera bump.

E.g., the iPhone Air's slab section is 5.6 mm, and the camera bump protrudes by 5.7 mm. Thus they needd 11.3 mm for the camera. So if they made a foldable of that slab thickness, then folded it would be 5.6 x 2 mm =11.2 mm, so the double-thickness strip at the bottom could accommodate the camera while staying nearly flush with the folded phone.

Like the chin on the old Razr

 

[Haiku_Oezu]

As someone who inevitably ends up with a scratched screen after a couple of years of any iPhone I’m definitely considering this format

(Yes, I know screen protectors exist but I don’t like having them on)

 

[brilliantthings]

By the end of 2025, the total number of Samsung foldable phones sold (Flip and Fold series combined) since 2019 is well in excess of 30-40 million...

Yeah. Pretty niche.

 

[devinher]

Apple is "exploring" the idea of a foldable iPhone with a "square, clamshell-style" design, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

A so-called "iPhone Flip" — unlikely to be the real name — would compete with devices such as Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 7 and the modern-day Motorola Razr.

The clamshell iPhone would be released at some point after Apple's first foldable iPhone, which is expected to launch in September this year.

The first foldable iPhone is expected to open up like a book, similar to Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7. This design will provide users with a large 7.7-inch inner display for watching videos and gaming, and there will likely be multitasking functionality. A clamshell iPhone, on the other hand, would be more about portability and pocketability.

"Apple is betting that its first foldable iPhone will be successful enough to generate real demand for the category and that customers will want additional shapes and sizes, much as they have with traditional slab-style iPhones," said Gurman. Nevertheless, he said a clamshell iPhone is "far from guaranteed to reach the market."

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Article Link: Apple is Exploring an 'iPhone Flip'

I want the clam

This is the *one* I am waiting on. Not into the Fold format and size. If Apple does a clamshell right, it could be the new iPhone mini, actually pocket-friendly. If it ends up reasonably thick + durable, it’s a winner for me.

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edit: reworded, added why

I want the clamshell for no rational reason whatsoever. I just think it looks cool as hell.

Do people really have an issue with the pocketability of the current iPhone? I never have. But the new Razr is gorgeous and I want one like that.

I also loved the old, square Apple Nano with the color screen and clip. Something about those proportions just does it for me.

 

[deeddawg]

Remember - Apple is far from second. Other manufactures have also been making foldable after Samsung. The only advantage Apple has is it's massive blind loyalist consumer base. Just from the responses in this thread and other threads on this forum, we know there are people who would love to get a foldable, but have not been given the permission from Apple to buy one yet.

The anti-Apple zealot who hangs out on macrumors takes a metaphor literally.

Thanks for the laugh.

 

[deeddawg]

By the end of 2025, the total number of Samsung foldable phones sold (Flip and Fold series combined) since 2019 is well in excess of 30-40 million...

So about 2-3% of Samsung's phone sales in that period, and about half a percent of android phones sold in that period.

 

[ForesterShoes]

I’ve always been more partial to the “flip” than the “fold”—the extra square real estate in the fold is useless. a smaller footprint is invaluable! bring on the flip

A flip iPhone Air would be really nice. Definitely interested.

Same here. I need one!