I do think the foldable market will be the most interesting out of them all but I agree, foldables are still a niche market (coming from a Z Fold 7 users)
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Apple to Make More Foldable iPhones Than Expected
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I do get your point, but this year they released the heaviest, brickiest, camera-yist phone ever and it’s the most popular in years.
It does seem to be what people want. It’s just that Apple can’t seem to figure out what else people might want as much as they want that.
Apple once published a note stating it had developed a customized layering technique to minimize or eliminate the crease, with Samsung producing the panel to Apple’s design specifications.
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Right. I think it’s more the material over the screen looking bad than the screen itself.
They probably want more phones in the line up because of shareholder pressure to grow but doing iPhone 5GSZ does not fit the Apple brand and as we see with other brands it doesn’t work. What made them successful is offering a simplistic line up. Look at the iPad line up. Costumers can not go to the Apple Store and say I want an iPad. They have to go through on purpose crippled iPads, multiple pencils and keyboards. They need to go back offering just iPhone and iPhone Pro.
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I will be very surprised if this sells well. First of all I just don't see many people spending $2,000USD on a phone. Secondly, I don't see a large amount of people wanting a folding ipad mini as that is basically what it is. Regardless, it won't effect my life one way or the other.
Tech users in 2025: "I found a use for the gimmicks they sold me!"
The price will be both a Challenger and The Limiting Factor. And anyone paying $2,500 is a Fengdouzhe.
This illustrates the compromises Apple users are willing to accept: a $2,500 device where the screen withstands all the hardness of a fingernail and has the same camera iPhone Pros have been getting for generations. Shut up and take their money!
The iPhone lineup is a little busy, but it can be easily understood. The iPad lineup, however, is straight-up nonsense.
It is of course an imperfect process. Yet Apple and its product management remain the envy of the world, and grew to ~$4T. I would say Apple learns just fine.
I think the larger point to observe is that Apple is falling from their position as a "trend setter" and is sinking back to the position of a follower.
I can't wait to pick one of these up and never open it! Sub 6" screens FTW
Yes and its on purpose to maintain the illusion of we offer more models so we are growing and the price ladder. Nobody can tell me putting a wireless charger for the pencil on the base iPad will make the cost rise so much that they have to raise the price. They didn’t put a wireless charger to make the costumers be so annoying so they go to the Air model. Or not doing a laminated display even though its almost 2026.
It simply means that Samsung Display has already made its profit, nothing more. Whether Apple will be able to sell 22 million foldable phones is another matter altogether.
Apple has no need "to figure out what else people might want as much as they want that." Only ignorant internet wags demand that. Apple just needs to make great products that predominantly exceed break-even costs. Contrary to what the silly internet wags demand, not every product needs to sell at iPhone volume .
They won't be a niche market once Apple releases one. People that made fun of a foldable Android phone will flock to the iPhone foldable and talk about how innovative a folding phone is.
Thanks to the iPhone Pro and now the base 17 model and iPhone accessories. The fourth iPhone always flopped and other devices are not the reason Apple grew to 4T.
Heh... and then imagine planet Earth instantly tilting an extra 30 degrees from all of the "Apple doesn't innovate any more!" chants.
People do love big phones.... Apple has been making them bigger and bigger ever since
Yes make it better, better battery, more durable or I have another idea. Try to make it more repairable instead of bragging about planting trees which is a scam and green washing. I bet if they try to make it repairable it will do more for the environment than planting trees and it will be better for costumers and their pockets. The fold not only going to make the iPhone more fragile and expensive to repair it will also cost as much as used cars used to cost a few years ago.
the crease will be invisible due to Liquid Glass Grease beneath the display, you just sort of rub it on your jeans, and voila - gone for whole five minutes!
Agree -- waiting for the use case. FoldOS?! Except for rare cases of following instructions for a project in the garage, I only consume video content on TVs. I do read lots of text (e.g., NYT) on the phone, but I don't see an unfolded screen enhancing that experience enough to justify the likely price tag. Now if I were a graphic artist...
It sounds perfect for my needs, except that limiting the camera will be a deal breaker. Pshaw. I expect that quite a few folks will want to have an iPad Mini that will fold to fit in a pocket. Like with the iPhone Air, IMO price will largely determine sales volume.
By the time Folds hit the street the deleterious effects of the [absurd] tariffs and USA administration craziness will have solidly hit both the economy [recession or close to it] and the base costs Apple sees for components, so Apple will probably expect a concomitant sales drop. But they also are probably already locking in component prices with orders (e.g. displays) right now. A challenging task of optimizing, where it may actually be cost effective to over-order some components.
By the time Folds hit the street the deleterious effects of the [absurd] tariffs and USA administration craziness will have solidly hit both the economy [recession or close to it] and the base costs Apple sees for components, so Apple will probably expect a concomitant sales drop. But they also are probably already locking in component prices with orders (e.g. displays) right now. A challenging task of optimizing, where it may actually be cost effective to over-order some components.
Apple mostly designs and specs its own product componentry. What Samsung uses and what Apple uses are different, even when Samsung makes both.