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Apple's 2026 Foldable iPhone Could Reinvigorate Stalling Market
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That looks like the iPhone from my ex-boss... She forgot she placed her bag behind her car and reversed over it, she came into the office with 2 iPhones folded like the one in the picture, just the screen made lovely moire patterns.
I never really like flip-phones the first time around. My Motorolla v.66 and LG flip-phones were fun for 5 minutes, then the novelty waned. I went back to candy bar phones. I've used a couple of foldable smartphones, briefly, but the first thing I always see is the fold in the middle of the screen and I can't see past it...
I think I'll skip the foldable phones for now.
I never really like flip-phones the first time around. My Motorolla v.66 and LG flip-phones were fun for 5 minutes, then the novelty waned. I went back to candy bar phones. I've used a couple of foldable smartphones, briefly, but the first thing I always see is the fold in the middle of the screen and I can't see past it...
I think I'll skip the foldable phones for now.
The foldable iPhone will be as invigorating to the foldable phone market as the Vision Pro was to the AR/VR market. Not much.
Why? I was very happy with my 13 Pro and wasn't looking to upgrade - my daughter's phone, an X, died, so I upgraded and she got my old phone. I'm quiet happy with small increments and upgrading ever 5 years or so, I have better things to spend my money on.
Let’s be honest…. 16 pro max is too bulky and heavy, in few words is hard to handle. Smartphones have grown too much, so I think this time 16 pro is best than the pm. I really hope we can see a flip iPhone very soon, maybe next year or for 2026.
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When and if a foldable Apple phone comes out. It will sell well. All the Apple haters who frequent this site will hoot and jeer about Apple being late to the game and say things like "anyone who wants a foldable phone bought it years ago". Then they will be upset that Apple sales of their foldable phone are brisk and result in new sales records. They will insult Apple customers as being stupidly loyal to Apple. They just don't get that it isn't about having some stupid technology trinket that can be bragged about. It is about having a useful device that integrates seamlessly across multiple devices -- it is about the advantages of ecosystem.
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As long as they don't discontinue the regular phones it's fine. Let the nerds use their pointless foldables and sleep happier.
Oh yay...another product I have zero interest in.... perhaps if it came with some emojis...
for this device I would be fine with Apple making it really slim
(what's the point of folding if the device is really thick, when folded)
(what's the point of folding if the device is really thick, when folded)
Actually I do think that rumors about an iPhone Air is just a way to talk secretly in code about a flip/foldable iPhone.
A much thinner iPhone doesn’t make too sense to me if we consider that physics says that as much as a phone becomes thinner, more bendable it becomes. So I really think that “iPhone Air” is just an euphemism to avoid saying it will be the flip/foldable iPhone.
The point is to have a much more pocketable device instead of current slabs, and also to allow having bigger screen sizes in a small phone when flipped.
Maybe the market is stalling because, surprise, no one wants one?
Foldables are cringe in the first place so what are you expecting?
When the Vision Pro came out there were a bunch of people defending the insane cost of AppleCare. Hilarious to think about when it’s just going to be collecting dust now
Foldables are AWFUL for durability. I honestly think Apple would be idiotic to release one
Agree. I want a Samsung Fold type iPhone that’s also an iPad mini. I mean the iPad is so limited anyways due to the crappy software this is all we need. As I get older would appreciate a larger display iPhone. I want more than anything the front screen to have the camera, so when I unfold it I get a clean uninterrupted display. No holes no islands no notches.
The Samsung Fold is now in Gen 6! Apple is way behind. People can say oh well if Apple hasn’t done it yet it’s because it’s not durable it’s not this or that. The truth is generation one or two isn’t going to be the best in anything. The Samsung Fold 6 is now amazing. When looking at the display straight on don’t even see a line in the fold. Can see it from the side and can feel it slightly. But I would take that trade any day of the week to have an iPhone that’s also unfolds into an iPad mini.
Tim is so afraid of cannibalization of his money line whereas Steve always said if we create something better that makes the other product obsolete or not needed great - cannibalization of our own products is the nature of innovation.
Tim wants everyone to have every Apple device and service and lock into the App Store with it. The greed is what sucks at Apple. So sad Steve has been gone 13+ years now. Cannot wait until Apple gets a product person back in charge. The customers are stakeholders too. And the long-term viability of Apple is more important than robbing from every customer, developer, employee now to ensure the CEO gets his $100m annual stock grant. It’s just absurd.
Go iPhone Sandwich! TM. Haha.
Going to call it now. 2026 they will put out the flip version and then 2027 they will put out the foldable version, just in time for the Iphone's 20th anniversary!
Hopefully for Apple most people are not like me then as I have zero interest in owning a folding smartphone. They aren't exactly popular from other manufacturers right now so I have no idea why Apple is exploring it, plus I'd imagine it'll be hideously overpriced.
This post was written on an iPhone 16 Pro Max that was 'designed from the ground up' for Apple Intelligence, a feature that is still not on the phone over 2 months after I bought it.....
This post was written on an iPhone 16 Pro Max that was 'designed from the ground up' for Apple Intelligence, a feature that is still not on the phone over 2 months after I bought it.....
Foldable phones. Low quality expensive e-waste. The screens of these devices break within a year with deep scratches appearing within a month. (I've seen it happen). There is absolutely no way I will ever buy a foldable phone.
Sure cute you can bend an OLED screen, but the durability of those bendable screens is so low that in normal daily use it's pointless. Except to increase the price by 2x-3x.
Sure cute you can bend an OLED screen, but the durability of those bendable screens is so low that in normal daily use it's pointless. Except to increase the price by 2x-3x.
IF you could make a quality foldable phone that is in the same price range as current non-foldable ones, I'm sure plenty of people would enjoy a phone that unfolds into a tablet.
However, all evidence to date points to the foldable screen adding massively to the price of the device (while likely reducing its durability and battery life), which means this is likely to remain a niche segment of the market.
However, all evidence to date points to the foldable screen adding massively to the price of the device (while likely reducing its durability and battery life), which means this is likely to remain a niche segment of the market.