Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Innovating doesn’t mean making it up from scratch, it means making it better. Most (or maybe all) of Apple’s major successes have been entering markets that already existed but doing it better so that it becomes mainstream.
They don’t always make it significantly better though, once in a while they just have to react to the market forces or sometimes they just try their hand at a new product category to add to their ecosystem. We’ll see with foldables.
Sure wish they would enter into the 2-in-1 space and make it better too, they certainly have the hardware expertise to do so what with their own cpu/gpu designs being so powerful and efficient. In the time that they've have spent beyond the first couple of M series chips Windows on ARM has been allowed to continue to be refined. With the new Snapdragon X Elite chips at least now Surface devices have improved battery life. I still would rather have a Surface Pro like MacOS running device rather than a Surface Pro though. Something that is primarily intended to be a laptop but can function as an iPad when needed. I have seen many argue that the market is too small for Apple to consider, yet here we are with the Vision Pro lineup. Oh well..
 
  • Like
Reactions: jamezr
Innovating doesn’t mean making it up from scratch, it means making it better. Most (or maybe all) of Apple’s major successes have been entering markets that already existed but doing it better so that it becomes mainstream.
They don’t always make it significantly better though, once in a while they just have to react to the market forces or sometimes they just try their hand at a new product category to add to their ecosystem. We’ll see with foldables.
I think we all know what innovation means. I did not use the term lightly. But i will use your description of what Apple does. For example Artificial Intelligence or as Apple branded it.....Apple Intelligence.
They waited too long to get into the space and now the technology has surpassed their abilities. They advertised and branded a product "built from the ground up with Apple Intelligence" only to fail miserably. Even admitting what was advertised in the product release to not be ready for another year.
I see them failing the same way in foldable phones. They have ignored the space for too long and the innovation and product development has surpassed them. OPPO has the Oppo Find N7 foldable is virtually just as thin FOLDED as an iPhone and weighs the same with a bigger battery....and arguably a better camera as well.
1742245824076.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: snipr125
Whether a foldable is over or under $2k, Apple has a tough sales job on its hands that is a product of its success. Its popular phones are around $1k. Its most popular laptop is $1k. Besides a larger, foldable screen, what value are they providing to a prospective buyer? This is the same problem that pigeonholed the Vision Pro into its early adopter niche. Personally I'd like to see a LG's rolling display in a mainstream product in 3-5 years. That might pique my interest over a regular iPhone/iPad refresh.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ElvenPrince995
I have zero interest in a foldable phone. I'm one of the crazy ones who wants a smaller phones, not bigger. I always get the smallest Pro version, if I need a big screen I use my ipad or mac. It's getting to the point I don't want to upgrade at all anymore because they keep making the screen bigger and bigger every years. Plus I really don't want a plastic screen that will scratch and crease and look ugly within the first few months.
A flip style foldable that somehow overcomes the plastic wavy screen and takes advantage of the "really thin when unfolded" style would be fantastic. When unfolded, about the same size screen as the current pro. When folded, half the pocket space and presumably an external half-size display for notifications, time, etc.

That would satisfy my ongoing desire for a star trek original series communicator.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Dr.Lee and UliBaer
that's a big chunk of change.
Still, i can still imagine apple moving 3-4M units in the first year; which at 2.5k/pop is 7.5-10B in revenue.

Does that figure seem reasonable?
Apple move about 20M pro max's each year; it's their best seller and arguably sells best because for a lot of apple's customers, money isn't actually an issue. They just want the best and or want to be seen using the best. Those customers will flock to the new fold.

A quarter of that market would be pretty conservative i'd say.

Does 2.5k for a phone sound expensive to you? For me it does. But i'm also not the sort of person that spends $500 on a balenciaga beanie; yet those sell too.
 
Kuo said the first foldable iPhone would feature a 7.8-inch inner display, a 5.5-inch outer display,…
Those dimensions still seem funky. Did some quick math and the results I got look weird. Assuming a book style fold and ignoring bezels. A closed diagonal of 5.5”, an open diagonal of 7.8”. The open height is the same as the closed height. And the open width is twice (2x) the closed width and a rectangle display.

The math says the closed display is about 3.2”x4.4” (w x h) and the open display is about 6.4”x4.4”.
 
I think we all know what innovation means. I did not use the term lightly. But i will use your description of what Apple does. For example Artificial Intelligence or as Apple branded it.....Apple Intelligence.
They waited too long to get into the space and now the technology has surpassed their abilities. They advertised and branded a product "built from the ground up with Apple Intelligence" only to fail miserably. Even admitting what was advertised in the product release to not be ready for another year.
I see them failing the same way in foldable phones. They have ignored the space for too long and the innovation and product development has surpassed them. OPPO has the Oppo Find N7 foldable is virtually just as thin FOLDED as an iPhone and weighs the same with a bigger battery....and arguably a better camera as well.
View attachment 2493188
I was simply pointing out that entering an existing market does not preclude innovation (going by the definition we all know) as your comment implied. Whether or not Apple will innovate enough or is too far behind is a different matter that only time will tell for sure. You have your personal prediction based on what you perceive, that’s fine. I have no interest in making a prediction myself, just pointing out foundational facts we should all agree on.
 
Sure wish they would enter into the 2-in-1 space and make it better too, they certainly have the hardware expertise to do so what with their own cpu/gpu designs being so powerful and efficient. In the time that they've have spent beyond the first couple of M series chips Windows on ARM has been allowed to continue to be refined. With the new Snapdragon X Elite chips at least now Surface devices have improved battery life. I still would rather have a Surface Pro like MacOS running device rather than a Surface Pro though. Something that is primarily intended to be a laptop but can function as an iPad when needed. I have seen many argue that the market is too small for Apple to consider, yet here we are with the Vision Pro lineup. Oh well..
I’ve wished that too for a long time, but I think the only chance it has of happening is if Apple runs out of bigger/better ROI markets to pursue. In the case of Vision Pro, I don’t think they would have made it if it ended there. I think it’s a stepping stone to something that they hope will one day be a big market.
 
  • Like
Reactions: surferfb
Greedy or not it's the truth. When Google, Samsung, Xiomi or any of the other also-rans make anywhere close to $70b in revenue then call it competition.

Til then it's just Apple and the waysides.
This thinking explains exactly what’s ruining everything in the world.

The greedy 1%.
 
In the case of Vision Pro, I don’t think they would have made it if it ended there. I think it’s a stepping stone to something that they hope will one day be a big market.
👍 Interested to see where that goes.
 
I have not seen a lot of data about the sales figures of other foldable. I was in a KBBQ place not long ago and a guy at another table had one. He went to flip it open to show... and it broke in half with the top skidding across the floor. Yeah, he made a big practiced flourish move and I am sure he's been doing that a long time and wore it out but still... it is a concern.
 
This thinking explains exactly what’s ruining everything in the world.

The greedy 1%.
I completely disagree. That 1% is inventing everything you are using. There are jerks in any demographic but I am not going to carte blanche paint anyone like that.
 
Greedy or not it's the truth. When Google, Samsung, Xiomi or any of the other also-rans make anywhere close to $70b in revenue then call it competition.

Til then it's just Apple and the waysides.
GOOG: Revenue: $350.018B, net margin: 30%; Samsung: Revenue: $218B, net: 15%; Xiomi: Rev: $~$50B; net: 7% (much younger company with a rocket growth trajectory). Was that what you were asking?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 9081094
Sure wish they would enter into the 2-in-1 space and make it better too, they certainly have the hardware expertise to do so what with their own cpu/gpu designs being so powerful and efficient. In the time that they've have spent beyond the first couple of M series chips Windows on ARM has been allowed to continue to be refined. With the new Snapdragon X Elite chips at least now Surface devices have improved battery life. I still would rather have a Surface Pro like MacOS running device rather than a Surface Pro though. Something that is primarily intended to be a laptop but can function as an iPad when needed. I have seen many argue that the market is too small for Apple to consider, yet here we are with the Vision Pro lineup. Oh well..
There’s this rumor 😮

It might not be precisely what I’m looking for but it would be an encouraging step toward it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: muzzy996
Apple is going to release a foldable phone when the hype has died down. Perfect timing Tim.
 
I hope that they make this, even if it is not a success in the market. Phones at this price point will never by market leaders, but that does not mean that they should not exist.
 
GOOG: Revenue: $350.018B, net margin: 30%; Samsung: Revenue: $218B, net: 15%; Xiomi: Rev: $~$50B; net: 7% (much younger company with a rocket growth trajectory). Was that what you were asking?
Lol. Nice try but I wasn't asking for total company revenue. We were talking about smartphone revenue. I repeat my earlier statement, when either of the companies you mentioned make anywhere close to the $70 billion that Apple made, then we can talk competition.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: 9081094
I expect a price of $1999. Not sure whether it will cost more than that. Also will not be surprised to see availability limited to certain markets initially.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mganu
Nobody knows the price snd these so called analysts are simply guessing at this point

I expect around 2k
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.