Few Smartphone Owners Care About Foldables or AI, Survey Suggests

[MacRumors]

A new survey suggests most U.S. smartphone owners are not motivated to upgrade by foldable phone designs or AI features, a potential challenge for Apple as it prepares to launch both the rumored "iPhone Ultra" and an expanded suite of Apple Intelligence features this fall.

The survey, commissioned by CNET and conducted by YouGov across 2,407 U.S. smartphone owners between April 29 and May 1, found that only 13% of respondents would consider upgrading for a phone concept such as a foldable or flip phone, while just 12% cited AI integrations as an upgrade motivator.

Among iPhone owners specifically, interest in foldable designs was slightly higher at 14%. Apple is widely expected to launch its first foldable iPhone alongside the iPhone 18 Pro this fall, with a starting price of around $2,000.

While a 13% interest statistic in foldable designs has been characterized as evidence of limited appeal, it may actually represent a larger addressable market than anticipated for a product most consumers have never used and whose likely price was not disclosed to respondents. Interest could shrink considerably once a $2,000-plus price tag enters the picture, and supply chain reports suggest smooth availability may not occur until 2027.

Consumer sentiment around AI integrations dropped sharply from 2024 to 2025 before edging slightly higher in 2026, though the figure remains low at 12%. Previous surveys found that the majority of iPhone users felt existing Apple Intelligence features added little to no value to their experience.

Price remains the overwhelming driver of upgrade decisions, cited by 55% of respondents, followed by longer battery life at 52%, and more storage at 38%. Those top three motivators are unchanged from 2025, when price led at 62%, battery life at 54%, and storage at 39%.

Camera features (27%) and display size (22%) ranked well ahead of either foldables or AI as upgrade motivators. Smartphone owners are also not particularly swayed by a phone being thinner or available in new colors, findings that are relevant given Apple's recent emphasis on the ultra-thin iPhone Air and expanded color options across its lineup.

Article Link: Few Smartphone Owners Care About Foldables or AI, Survey Suggests

 

[MacUserFella]

I don’t care, I’m proud to be part of those few smartphone owners

 

[Shalev Lazarof]

People don't know what they want until you show them the experience

 

[turbineseaplane]

Count me as one of those for sure.

🙋‍♂️

I just want an updated smaller phone that I can easily use one handed

 

[HouseLannister]

14% considering an iPhone Fold/Ultra is not a few. If they actually purchased, that would be more than double what the Air was selling, which was already close to double what the Mini/Plus models did.

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[turbineseaplane]

I think there's a chance an iPhone Fold will end up like the Vision Pro and iPhone Air.

A lot is going to depend upon price, but also the form factor tradeoffs they chose.
The leaks of the shape/size are ... "odd".

I'm very curious to see the actual product they release.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

14% considering an iPhone fold is not a few. If they actually purchased, that would be more than double what the Air was selling, which was already close to double what the Mini/Plus models did.

"If they actually purchased"...that's the clincher. Once they see the north-of-$2000 price tag, more than half of that 14% are going to walk away.

 

[LionTeeth]

100% agree. I have absolute zero interest in a phone that folds. And AI is awful.

Why does it fold? Just because it can? What does that do for me?

 

[SilmarilFinder]

I care about both and believe they can increase my productivity, but only if they are implemented correctly. I have not yet seen a complete package.

 

[judgeFire]

I have an interest in a big screen that I can easily pocket. Whether that's foldable, rollable or wearable; the technology hasn't really reached a level of maturity yet. Maybe now, maybe not.

 

[EM2013]

What I’ve been saying

unfortunately every company will continue with ai nonsense

 

[triumvirate]

I understand the market might be there, but I have zero interest in a foldable and AI is on the bottom of my necessities list. 17PM will keep me happy for half a decade.

Also if a phone price starts with a 2 and is more than 3 numbers long, my interest has immediately gone from ~5% to 0%. That said Apple could use a success after the iPhone Air, but in these economic times a phone >$1500 seems like a hard sell to a mass market.

 

[jsavvy]

I think foldables are a niche thing that might grow over time but aren’t desirable by the masses now. And the price tags on those things…that will keep them niche for a while.

As for AI features, who would upgrade when you can use the same features online without a new phone? Unless the sell is a local only LLM - maybe then it would be worth upgrading? I wouldn’t upgrade for AI features.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I think foldables are a niche thing that might grow over time but aren’t desirable by the masses now. And the price tags on those things…that will keep them niche for a while.

I've never used my phone and wished I could unfold it into a small and awkward huge iPhone/Tiny iPad.

The difference between the unfolded screen area and even just an iPad mini is substantial. This is true of all the foldables out there and especially the rumored Apple one.

 

[Radeon85]

Just wait until Apple releases it; people here will be all over it.

 

[HouseLannister]

Why does it fold? Just because it can? What does that do for me?

Because the alternative is an iPad in your pocket?

 

[justanotherdave]

How can you say this is a “challenge” for Apple if few people care about foldables or AI?

How do you reconcile that with articles that say Apple is “behind” in AI/foldables and it’s also a problem?

 

[rorschach]

I suspect, like the AVP, it's going to come down to price. One of those products where people will think "It looks really cool, and I would buy it...but not for $2,000."

 

[tonie walker]

iPhone fold is probably the next Vision Pro. Just for the sake of marketing. Why would user care about AI if the experience is SIRI level? would you like me to search the web for you?

 

[Le0M]

Count me as one of those for sure.

🙋‍♂️

I just want an updated smaller phone that I can easily use one handed

From the mockups we can see that it's nowhere close to an iPhone mini in terms of screen size, making it very hard to use with one hand, even whilst closed.

 

[Kidseeghost]

I say this now for like forever. People don’t care about gimmicks. Folds will start fading away by the end of this decade when the iPhone version flops.

 

[bookcase]

I'm not against a folding iPhone, though it's not high on my list of wants. But I think a $2K starting price will turn off a lot of potential buyers and could become a potential Vision Pro scenario.

 

[Kidseeghost]

I think foldables are a niche thing that might grow over time but aren’t desirable by the masses now.

Its almost 7 years now. We are at the iPhone 6 era of folds and they still are niche and the market share is small.

 

[Thunderstrike76]

People don't know what they want until you show them the experience

And no one has shown me why I should care about AI and foldables.

 

[jsavvy]

I've never used my phone and wished I could unfold it into a small and awkward huge iPhone/Tiny iPad.

The difference between the unfolded screen area and even just an iPad mini is substantial. This is true of all the foldables out there and especially the rumored Apple one.

I can’t say I wished my current phone could unfold into anything but multiple times I’ve been using my iPhone and wished the screen was bigger without having to go snag my iPad.

I’ve not looked at the iPhone folding thing…the difference between the unfolded screen area and mini is substantial?