I literally tried one in store today. I really liked the large screen, but the seams didn't look appealing. That will be solved over time. I believe in technology
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Apple Plans Split iPhone Launch Strategy: Pro and Foldable in Fall 2026, Standard in Spring 2027
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The seams will NOT be solved, they're not really a solvable problem.
There's just no material that exists that can handle the stresses involved while being transparent and not feeling crappy when you touch it.
It's going to take a major breakthrough in materials science that will likely just not be coming for foldable screens to not have creases that eventually turn into failure points.
OK, let me do this one more time...
Over the last few rounds of news, I've been very basically drawing up and then modelling the rumoured iPhone fold. This latest article detailed information on the front and rear facing cameras as well as specified a resolution and more precise screen sizes.
With that info I got the screen sizes and ratios pretty confidently locked down (this is ~version 3). I then worked my way outward with the bezels to get the frame to match internally and externally. I totally speculated on the hinge design, button layouts and general aesthetic - but it's somewhat based on the iPhone 17 design rumours.
My personal reason for wasting so much time doing this is I desperately wanted to see how this 5.49" external screen would compare to my iPhone mini, Just like I did when I got fed up of waiting and found a dummy iPhone 12 mini unit on Taobao! I apparently care very deeply about the size of my phone.
Anyway all that said - below is an update to the animated gif that compares an iPhone 16 pro max silhouette and iPhone mini silhouette to the rumoured iPhone fold. Again this is based on the rumour the other day.
In addition I tweaked my last 3D model and this was a good opportunity to learn how to render animations in Unreal Engine:
I'll post some more images and comparisons with a 15 Pro max and mini in another thread for anyone interested, so as not to clutter this news article with more than I need to.
Over the last few rounds of news, I've been very basically drawing up and then modelling the rumoured iPhone fold. This latest article detailed information on the front and rear facing cameras as well as specified a resolution and more precise screen sizes.
With that info I got the screen sizes and ratios pretty confidently locked down (this is ~version 3). I then worked my way outward with the bezels to get the frame to match internally and externally. I totally speculated on the hinge design, button layouts and general aesthetic - but it's somewhat based on the iPhone 17 design rumours.
My personal reason for wasting so much time doing this is I desperately wanted to see how this 5.49" external screen would compare to my iPhone mini, Just like I did when I got fed up of waiting and found a dummy iPhone 12 mini unit on Taobao! I apparently care very deeply about the size of my phone.
Anyway all that said - below is an update to the animated gif that compares an iPhone 16 pro max silhouette and iPhone mini silhouette to the rumoured iPhone fold. Again this is based on the rumour the other day.
In addition I tweaked my last 3D model and this was a good opportunity to learn how to render animations in Unreal Engine:
I'll post some more images and comparisons with a 15 Pro max and mini in another thread for anyone interested, so as not to clutter this news article with more than I need to.
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haha... I remember that time too.. Sometimes I think MacRumors the site has gone down hill. But it may not even be that. It's just the "rumors" or the excitement around them have sucked. Thinner iPhone, next one will have a slightly bigger screen, next one will get rid of a button on the side, next one will add a button on the side, next one will replace a button on the side, net one will have a different cut out for the front facing camera.
These are just iterations. The last big iPhone update was the 10 probably. Before that, it's all just slight iterations from that.
Several YouTube videos from China showcase the tri-fold Huawei phone, which is known for its poor durability. Owners complain that replacing the screen costs around 12,000 Chinese Yuan, and it often fails.
I recall my favorite HP calculator, the HP-28S. If an iPhone had its form factor, I’d be interested. Closing it also affords protection out in the wild. The HP-28S I had was great; what killed it was the battery case issue they all had.
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That last rendering interests me. I mentioned the HP-28S; it closed like that, protecting the tender bits. You could open it in your hand and use it, then clap it shut. People complained that the Huawei was awkward to use while moving.
The rendering of the phone in the initial photograph looks like a PSION PDA from the 90s: horizontal screen and a physical keyboard underneath. I want one, especially with iPhone guts.
Nobody who has bought a iPhone the last 3-4 years really care when the next one gets released. Less and less for the Pro as well, but most of us still feel the slight tingle, even if we don't act on it. Iphones have become a middle aged marriage. It's fine, too much hassle to change
Yeah I think there's a reason that so few companies have tried outward facing folds, although it feels natural to have a screen that just ... becomes bigger, the reality of the soft materials needed make it totally unfeasible, unless the user literally doesn't care about the cost of replacing their phone every few months
I confess as a concept I loved the original Huawei mate x, which had a little edge that housed all the cameras (without a bump!) a charging port and you could grip it! Of course it was functionally useless in the real world.
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iPhone/ iPad as one device is a massive sell and it won’t be thick. Will be not far off current iPhones
Yeah this is my first excursion away from Apple. Samsung’s One UI makes the operating system very similar to iOS, so it’s not a difficult switch. The biggest problems are the apps. The same app is often more limited on Android. Best wishes if you switch!
I’ll totally go back to Apple if/when their fold comes out. iOS has better app development and I like the home integration better. But for now, the phone-that-transforms-into-a-tablet is worth the temporary os downgrade (to me).
There is this rendering at AppleInsider. This one would interest me because it closes like the HP-28S. An Apple Watch would be a primo pairing with such a phone, There is so much an Apple Watch does paired with an iPhone that I hardly ever pull my iPhone out to use it.
The last time those analyst numbers came out for the minis, the 12/13 minis were selling as well percentage wise as the plus models, yet Apple is still continuing to make the plus models
Pretty nice, thanks. Since many people with hands that aren't big don't like the width of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, I can imagine that they also won't like the even greater width of the folded iPhone Fold when using it as a phone, with only its external display. I have big hands, so holding a 16 Pro Max is fine for me, but I wonder if I'll find that the greater width of the Fold, in folded external screen phone mode, makes it a little difficult to hold even for me.
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Posts like your from people that have actually used the device are so useful. Would love to hear what you are saying in 18 months though.
The rumors stay there wont be a 17 Plus which means the Mini was available for two years and Plus for three.
Foldables give you a tablet-sized screen in your pocket, perfect for multitasking, watching content, or gaming. You can run multiple apps at once on the current models which is great for business users. Super versatile and great for on-the-go productivity. That’s just to name a few things.
Do you really not understand why a larger screen is more desirable than a smaller screen? What about when your phone is in landscape and the keyboard is visible? Now if it doesnt appeal to you that’s fine, but do you honestly not see the appeal of a larger screen?