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Foldable iPhone Expected to Launch Next Year, Costing Around $2,000

Warped9 said:
A solution in search of a problem.

In terms of actual practical benefit it has none while adding an unnecessary layer of complexity. So it will be an expensive toy for those who want the latest gimmick to play with. It also creates buzz for people to have something to talk about. Thats it.

Current smartphones are mature technology where the most beneficial advancement is in increasing battery life. The rest of it has been largely figured out. Phone cameras have gotten so good that they’re just finessing what is already there. So every redesign they’re now fiddling with size and shape to some extent and OS updates are down to adding features most people really couldn’t care less about and few will actually use.

Yes, the market is driven by novelty. But like other things the smartphone is at a point where you are really hard-pressed to envision something genuinely better to replace it. The foldable phone aint it. Because really it’s not a step forward, but actually backward. We’ve already had phones that folded in some way or other only they were mechanical in nature rather than having a display that actually folds. The iPhone and others did away with all that to give us a multipurpose device with an elegantly simple design that just works.

Consider the ongoing debate for the optimum phone size. One size cannot fit all because of different needs and expectations. But within that the optimum form factor has already been found—the existing smartphone.

So where is the real advantage and benefit with a foldable phone other than trying to develop a flawless foldable screen for some purpose yet to be envisioned? I think the real value here is in the research and development that might deliver something, some tech or engineering, of genuine value. But a foldabe phone isn’t it.
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It’s an 8” screen in your pocket. This isn’t complicated mate.

As for pricing, I don’t think they will go over $1999 to start. Which is still a huge amount.
 
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From the OEM perspective, foldable phones make all the sense in the world:

they cost more + they are less durable (more moving parts) = more sales and profit
 
zorinlynx said:
Two decades of smartphones becoming more reliable by getting rid of moving parts and failure points, and they're going to undo it all with this gimmick.
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We all accepted a full glass screen which is significantly less durable than old plastic candy bar phones because we like the benefits. Luckily you will still be able to buy a regular slab iPhone.
 
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zorinlynx said:
Two decades of smartphones becoming more reliable by getting rid of moving parts and failure points, and they're going to undo it all with this gimmick.

I guess SOME people want a folding phone, but I can't understand why. Especially if it'll cost more than a well-provisioned laptop.
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You get something for making the reliability worse, the same way we have done before when we went from plastic back phones to glass back phones and so on.
 
darngooddesign said:
We all accepted a full glass screen which is significantly less durable than old plastic candy bar phones because we like the benefits. Luckily you will still be able to buy a regular slab iPhone.
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It was really a wash. Sure it can break if you drop it on a hard surface (and screens have gotten significantly stronger in the past few years) but it's also a LOT more resistant to scratches than a plastic screen.

I remember my Palm Pre was full of scratches by the time I replaced it, and I wasn't particularly rough on that phone. Meanwhile my iPhones tend to have perfect screens after 3-4 years of heavy use.
 
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Will prob not get the first version of the foldable iPhone but are very curious about what the solution will look like and the effort all the engineers has put in to solve the "crease" problem and how durable it will be.
 
Hopefully won’t be terrible with carrier subsidies. .. then again, if I die with the phone I may still be on a Verizon plan in the afterlife.
 
Velin said:
Hard pass at that price. I really like Apple products and ecosystem. But if they intend on skyrocketing prices across all iPhone models in this way, I'll abandon the ecosystem and make do with Android and phones by Pixel, Redmagic, Oppo.
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Same here. I generally only upgrade when the modem speeds increase or I get enough of a deal that the upgrade costs really low. Right now, my carrier wants me to leave the grandfathered plan I have to get a “free” phone, but the rate increase makes a “free” new phone unattractive.
 
$2,000 for a flip phone? When did Apple decide they had to follow Samsung instead of lead with new ideas?
Prediction: Sales of this turkey will almost approach those of the VisionPro.
 
nfl46 said:
Well, the good thing is, Apple will provide options at different price points.

iPhone 18
iPhone 18 Air
iPhone Pro
iPhone Pro Max
iPhone Foldable

So, it’s not a situation where only one phone will be available.
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What happened to the iPhone Ultra?
 
I think I would prefer a simpler solution. Basically a nice big OLED iPad screen, minus the iPad guts that I can magnetically attach my phone to a recess in the back and get a nice big screen and larger battery only where and when i want it.
 
phuklok1 said:
I think I would prefer a simpler solution. Basically a nice big OLED iPad screen, minus the iPad guts that I can magnetically attach my phone to a recess in the back and get a nice big screen only where and when i want it.
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Or hear me out… an iPad mini with an actual decent god damn screen for a change.
 
Having owned a Galaxy Fold 4 and a OnePlus Open, this is what I've been waiting for since moving back to iOS. If this is indeed a real thing, I fully expect both myself and my wife to pick this up at launch, assuming that Apple doesn't completely drop the ball with its implementation.
 
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Right now, I'm holding my beautiful iPhone 6, 6.9mm thin, rounded edges, 129 grams, 4.7 inch display, one-hand use, running iOS 12. A high point of the iPhone family. Apple has lost it's way.
 
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