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Bank of America Analyst Says Apple Plans to Launch Foldable iPhone in 2020
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Does the hinge on the macbook pro feel cheap? Apple doesn't make cheap feeling things.
Wouldn’t the diaphragm need to vibrate to provide sound which means screen will shake while watching a video. Not trolling. Serious question.
The future is AR. Apple will make great AR glasses and hand tracking, phones will become obsolete.
Hey, someone with some actual insight?
Excellent point. Just like the funky hinge with the surface book, it has a radius preventing it from folding completely flush and square.
One big challenge to solve for anyone that knows anything about bending material, is depending on your radius and material thickness, you are going to encounter stretching. In sheet metal bending its known as bend deduction/allowance or K-factor.
I just don’t see something like this happening, at least not how people are envisioning today. Apple may very well develop some ingenious application of foldable displays that is more applicable to the user experience, but I would imagine something along the lines of how they’re utilizing it in the iPhone X. Not how we are anticipating.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Wasn't the earliest thread rumoring the "10th Anniversary" iPhone having a notch overwhelmingly filled with similar criticisms about the notch, how "Apple would NEVER dare to go that way," etc? And then, later, as it became increasingly obvious that iPhone X would have a notch, how that sentiment seemed to shift. And after it was confirmed? "I like the notch", "I don't even notice it", etc.
The same about bigger screen iPhones in earliest rumors while 4" iPhones were still be sold as "perfect" screen sizes. "Apple would never", "one-handed use", "pants with bigger pockets", etc. And then, when it became increasingly likely that Apple was going to launch bigger-screen phones, how that sentiment seemed to shift. And after it was confirmed? Record sales, "best iPhone ever", "how did we ever get by with those puny screens?", etc.
Point: time after time, the initial reaction to a rumored Apple innovation seems to be "no way", "stupid", "who needs this?" and so on. But let this rumor come up again and again and watch our collective sentiment shift. As soon as we would come to believe Apple is going this way, I wonder if we would still be so against the idea... or if posts would start piling up about how great it would be to have 2 devices in one, how nice it would be to have more screen real estate when we want it while keeping the pocket-ability, how we could use the additional screen space to run multiple apps at the same time, how any additional hardware space could offer room for more battery, and on and on.
We should know how this goes...
The same about bigger screen iPhones in earliest rumors while 4" iPhones were still be sold as "perfect" screen sizes. "Apple would never", "one-handed use", "pants with bigger pockets", etc. And then, when it became increasingly likely that Apple was going to launch bigger-screen phones, how that sentiment seemed to shift. And after it was confirmed? Record sales, "best iPhone ever", "how did we ever get by with those puny screens?", etc.
Point: time after time, the initial reaction to a rumored Apple innovation seems to be "no way", "stupid", "who needs this?" and so on. But let this rumor come up again and again and watch our collective sentiment shift. As soon as we would come to believe Apple is going this way, I wonder if we would still be so against the idea... or if posts would start piling up about how great it would be to have 2 devices in one, how nice it would be to have more screen real estate when we want it while keeping the pocket-ability, how we could use the additional screen space to run multiple apps at the same time, how any additional hardware space could offer room for more battery, and on and on.
We should know how this goes...
- Initial rumor: bah humbug. "99% don't want or need", "what's the point of this"
- About the 5th-8th rumor: "it's kind of growing on me" and "wait and see".
- About the 10th rumor when we start actually believing it: "it could do this", "it could do that", "it could do <things we know it can't possibly do but we'll write them down anyway>"
- About the 15th rumor just before it rolls out: "shut up and take my money"
- Post launch: "how did we ever get by with just one screen?", "how did we ever get by with a puny 5.X" screen?"
I'm not really sure why everyone's crying "but what's the benefit!?" I feel like it's pretty obvious. You can get a bigger screen in a smaller package. I'd probably anticipate the screen would fold on the outside. That way you have say a standard iPhone today when the device is closed (with the screen cascading off to the left) assuming it would operate almost identical to what we have today. Then when you open it, you'd open it like a book you put pages down on a table. So the screen which wrapped around and covered the back essentially more than doubles what you have.
I personally would love this. I seriously doubt the 2020 time frame, but I think this would really change the smartphone market up when it happens. The original iPhone came out and suddenly I didn't need alot of things I would have typically carried separately (and likely opted to leave behind) like my iPod, digital camera, etc. I think a fold-able iPhone would do that again to some extent by negating my use cases for an iPad, and an iPad even negate alot (but not all) use cases for my MacBook. I could get down with an all in one device that gives us the uses and functionality of the separate devices we have now.
I personally would love this. I seriously doubt the 2020 time frame, but I think this would really change the smartphone market up when it happens. The original iPhone came out and suddenly I didn't need alot of things I would have typically carried separately (and likely opted to leave behind) like my iPod, digital camera, etc. I think a fold-able iPhone would do that again to some extent by negating my use cases for an iPad, and an iPad even negate alot (but not all) use cases for my MacBook. I could get down with an all in one device that gives us the uses and functionality of the separate devices we have now.
Apple plans to launch a foldable iPhone two years from now, according to Wamsi Mohan, an analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
A fan-made foldable iPhone concept
Mohan shared his prediction in a research note obtained by CNBC after spending a week in Asia meeting with companies in Apple's supply chain. He expects the foldable iPhone will launch in 2020 and said it could potentially "double up as a tablet," suggesting the device could expand to have an iPad-like form factor.
This isn't the first time we've heard this rumor. Back in December 2016, a Korean report said LG Display was developing and mass-producing foldable displays for smartphones. And, as of October 2017, it appears that LG Display has reached an agreement to supply Apple with its foldable displays for future iPhones.
LG has shown off various futuristic-looking curved and foldable display prototypes over the past three years, including one with a book-like design and another that can be rolled up like a newspaper. Both designs take advantage of the flexible property of OLED displays, compared to rigid LCD screens.
For that reason, the iPhone X is a good start on the path towards a foldable iPhone, should one ever materialize.
While not visible, the iPhone X actually has a flexible OLED display that curves behind itself on the inside of the device. The curved portion houses the display controller chip, and this clever engineering feat allows the iPhone X to have a slimmer bottom bezel, which is normally where the chip is located.
iPhone X's flexible OLED display
A foldable iPhone would require further innovation. If the device can be rolled up like a newspaper, then components like the logic board and battery would need to be flexible enough to bend rather than buckle. But if it only folds in half, then components could still be rigid and connected with flex cables.
Apple applied for a foldable display patent last year and is likely researching ways to create a foldable iPhone, but that doesn't guarantee we'll ever see a consumer-facing product. 2020 might be an overly ambitious timeframe, too, but technology can change a lot in two years, so we'll have to wait and see.
Article Link: Bank of America Analyst Says Apple Plans to Launch Foldable iPhone in 2020
Two Words: don’t care
The iPad is a useless device. Does nothing a phone can't do and does less than a laptop can. It doesn't bridge the gap nor does it solve any problem.
And yet Apple consumers still buy it.
“Here at Apple we spent thousands of hours on innovation - and I am so proud to tell you that we have perfected folding like no other company can” - Future Tim Cook
This is insane! Thank you for the link. I've never seen this before.
Yep... Too many directions Apple is taking at once..
(1. Possible fordable iPhone
(2. Bigger iPhone X as well or instead of..
While at the same time improving all services.. If Apple did it right, no major issues with icloud. Instead, they could just concentrate elsewhere, and only do minor improvements.. But Apples now in this mess, they can't get out.
Since you will always have Bluetooth anyway, users are gonna feel better with physical keyboard attachment, you can't escape from that no matter how u try and lure users to stick with a virtual keyboard. but a fordable phone with a 'iPad like screen' could be good.... two devices, down to one.
I hardly ever use my iPad anymore, but i use my iPhone all the time.
The engineering challenges are very substantial. The principle benefit would be to put a much larger screen into a traditional iPhone-sized package. Putting today's screen sizes into smaller packages doesn't seem quite as compelling, but you never know. Like Steve said, we won't know what we want until they show it to us.
However, in the end, if it's an iPhone, then it needs to be held to an ear during a conversation. If it folds out to double the size of a plus-sized iPhone... not so easy to hold to your ear. Presumably, for that usage, it'd be used while folded, and only unfolded when a larger screen is desired...
Anyway, we can all come up with reasons we think it wouldn't work. It would be very intriguing indeed if it did work well, and that everyone, once they saw it, could see how it would improve their usage experience.
However, in the end, if it's an iPhone, then it needs to be held to an ear during a conversation. If it folds out to double the size of a plus-sized iPhone... not so easy to hold to your ear. Presumably, for that usage, it'd be used while folded, and only unfolded when a larger screen is desired...
Anyway, we can all come up with reasons we think it wouldn't work. It would be very intriguing indeed if it did work well, and that everyone, once they saw it, could see how it would improve their usage experience.
Making foldable screen but will be sort of reusable component (foldable big film like screen that cancbe inserted and taken out) that can be easily inserted in a clamshell or a thin metallic frame constrct. This way making screen could be done easily Instead of reinventing the entire form factor each year! This will also make the drop test, screen replacement and even battery replacement easier. It all depends on what sort of design Apple choose to pick if this rumour indeed becomes true.
I see tons of opportunities for consumers and Apple in a beneficial ways!
I see tons of opportunities for consumers and Apple in a beneficial ways!
