Foldable iPhone Said to Have Two Key Advantages

[MacRumors]

Apple plans to release its first foldable iPhone next year, according to several reporters and analysts who cover the company.

In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the foldable iPhone will offer two key advantages over other foldable smartphones.

First, he said the foldable iPhone will have a "nearly invisible" crease when unfolded. This means the device's rumored 7.8-inch to 8-inch inner display would have a more seamless design, for an uninterrupted viewing experience.

"Apple looks to stand out from the competition by making the crease less noticeable when the phone is in the open position," he wrote.

Second, the foldable iPhone will be equipped with a "much higher-quality hinge" compared to some other foldable smartphones, according to Gurman. He did not elaborate about this aspect, but Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously said the hinge will be made with a mix of titanium and stainless steel.

Other foldable iPhone specs that Kuo shared include a 7.8-inch inner display, a 5.5-inch outer display, two rear cameras, one front camera, a Touch ID power button instead of Face ID, and a high-density battery. He expects the device to be as thin as 4.5mm when unfolded, and between 9mm and 9.5mm when folded.

Article Link: Foldable iPhone Said to Have Two Key Advantages

 

[ELman]

Actually three. More profit for Apple.

 

[MrMacintoshIII]

If it doesn’t have its own special version of iOS, it is dead on arrival.

 

[CharlesShaw]

a 5.5-inch outer display,

Oh the irony if people prefer using the phone folded closed and say that the 5.5" is just fine for them.

 

[nfl46]

Let’s go! Apple had been planning for years, so I assumed they would address the durability issues before releasing the product.

I’m eagerly looking forward to replacing my 15PM in 2026.

 

[sonic84]

Who is asking for this?

 

[jml12286]

I'll take half that phone for like half the price

 

[sniffies]

If it doesn’t have its own special version of iOS, it is dead on arrival.

It will probably run iOS when folded, and iPadOS when unfolded.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Oh the irony if people prefer using the phone folded closed and say that the 5.5" is just fine for them.

Something similar has happened with the Android foldables/flippables with fairly large outer screens.
(my friend has some RAZR model that he mostly interacts with the outside screen on)

 

[rp2011]

Looking at that mockup, the one thing that would tempt me to get a foldable is if the entire bottom half could be a keyboard and run more powerful apps, and while docked, it would run full MacOS. Imagine the Mac market share if an iPhone ran full macOS when docked? Likewise, the iPad Pro should run full macOS when docked. Apple is not fully leveraging its unique Mac asset.

 

[Saturn1217]

I feel like other foldable makers also tout the "greatly reduced crease". But it is always still there.

I still want a foldable iPhone. I'm just setting my expectations that it will still have a crease because Apple can't actually do magic as much as we may want to believe it.

I definitely expect the hinge to be high quality. That's what Apple does. Hopefully the foldable doesn't have compromises (or not too many) in the camera or battery department. That was always what stopped me from considering Android foldables. You pay SO much for these phones. It kind of stings to have to give up the better camera and battery life when paying that much extra.

 

[sw1tcher]

If it doesn’t have its own special version of iOS, it is dead on arrival.

iOS for a Foldable iPhone... Apple could call it FiOS 🤔

 

[darngooddesign]

Who is asking for this?

I would like it.

 

[iamgalt]

And it can be yours for the low low price of $2499 (for the base model).

 

[darngooddesign]

I feel like other foldable makers also tout the "greatly reduced crease". But it is always still there.

I still want a foldable iPhone. I'm just setting my expectations that it will still have a crease because Apple can't actually do magic as much as we may want to believe it.

I definitely expect the hinge to be high quality. That's what Apple does. Hopefully the foldable doesn't have compromises (or not too many) in the camera or battery department. That was always what stopped me from considering Android foldables. You pay SO much for these phones. It kind of stings to have to give up the better camera and battery life when paying that much extra.

While the iPhone Air will have a smaller battery than the regular iPhone, the iPhonebook can have at least double the battery of the Air. Probably more than double since both sides wont have to have the same internal components taking up space which could be devoted to a larger battery. Knowing Apple, it will have their standard all-day batteryy life when open all the time, but much better battery life when used in a more realistic 50/50 open/closed usage split.

regarding camera compromises, I would take a single camera with a 1” sensor over multiple cameras with smaller sensors.

 

[pepsijunky]

No thanks.

 

[foobarbaz]

I feel like other foldable makers also tout the "greatly reduced crease". But it is always still there.

I think most of the advances have been that you can't see the crease in unbox videos anymore, but it still shows up after a few weeks of wear.

 

[PsykX]

So far I really haven't been interested in foldable phones... and to make it even less appealing, of course the price tag is way higher.

If it becomes some kind of iPad 11 inch, the crease isn't noticeable, it's thinner than 2 iPhone 17 Air put together, and it's reliable, then I might consider. My expectations are beyond everything's possible for now until at least 2030. So I'll stick with a regular phone. Thanks.

 

[jmonster]

I'd rather have an iPhone Mini + iPad Mini, with separate batteries, both stupid small and light, both usable simultaneously, and oh, collectively cheaper ... like less than half the cost? ...

 

[agsystems]

I'm undecided on this, but the "two key advantages" aren't enough to justify the exorbitant price Apple will be charging.

 

[cicalinarrot]

If it doesn’t have its own special version of iOS, it is dead on arrival.

No, it'll have standard iOS and won't be able to use the inner screen.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Who is asking for this?

A lot of people, apparently. Not me, but a lot.

If I was to buy a foldable, I would want a clamshell. Smaller than a standard phone when closed. I don't need all the extra screen.

 

[filmbuff]

No being able to see the crease sounds like a minimum standard for a folding phone to me. I wouldn't even consider one with a visible crease. That's why I think the current ones on the market are a joke.

 

[darngooddesign]

I kind of like that MR is still using that weird, low-rent render of the iPhonebook.

 

[jamezr]

iOS for a Foldable iPhone... Apple could call it FiOS 🤔

I see what you did there.......