Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
It's annoying to me on the iPad mini, so this seems like a pass for me. Also, I think I'd be more interested in a clamshell style foldable more like the Razr than this.
I prefer touchID. I’d like my phone to already be unlocked by the time I’ve gotten it to face level.
 
  • Like
Reactions: citysnaps
Doubt it.

They’re not going to install two OS and have it switch between the screens. They’ll pick one or the other and develop it to include both displays.
They aren't two completely different OS's though. ipadOS is just iOS with some extra features. So, the foldable iphone would have ipadOS, but the tablet friendly features would only be available when unfolded. Who knows if it will be exactly that, but it would make sense that you would get some different functionality when open rather than closed.
 
Oh the irony if people prefer using the phone folded closed and say that the 5.5" is just fine for them.
That size would fit in my shirt pocket, which is where I usually carry my iPhone. So yeah, that size would be fine for me. Then I'd have the option of opening up the phone to basically have a tablet. So I'd probably love that design. I probably wouldn't be able to afford it, but I could dream about it.
 
I'd love to see an iPhone SE flip phone. One thing I miss about our old small Nokia flip phones was how rugged they were — with a built-in rubberized, virtually indestructible case. They could be dropped onto concrete from 5 feet up and not even suffer a scratch.

The flip iPhone SE could have a very small outer LCD to show some user-selectable information — e.g., weather, top news, lunar phase, etc. — and would open up to a wide screen with customizable layout, positioning the dock and widgets wherever one wanted them, a resizable keyboard, etc.

There could be two versions — one that opened left-right — and the other opened top-bottom like a Star Trek communicator. Now, that would be innovation and unexpected.

Yeah, dream on. I’ll let myself out now…

“Beam me up, Scotty!”
 
  • Love
Reactions: turbineseaplane


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

Foldable-iPhone-2023-Feature-Homescreen.jpg

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
Really? Samsung makes the folding screens for themselves and for Google. There's nothing remarkable about a folding Apple device except its price.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JohnWick1954
And I am saying that is illogical. A) because modern Apple displays do not generally have scratch issues and B) because Apple would never build a display intended for Apple Pencil use that would be easily scratched by said Apple Pencil usage.
Yes, that’s why they suggested that the iPhonebook would have a scratchable screen and therefore no pencil support.
 
Whatever quality/material of the hinge that Apple puts in, the crease will still be there. No one has defied the physics yet.
 
Fear of cannibalization is never an issue. Folks who think that way do not last long in tech.

They most certainly do; there is a reason Apple doesn't keep older products at significantly reduced price points, or add features to lower end models that could be added at negligible marginal costs, for example.

The reason being that if a market opportunity to supersede one of one's products exists, it is better to cannibalize your own product rather than have a competitor do it for you.

And that is the crux of the issue - the iPad isn't the product to succeed the Mac, just as the Surface has not proven to be the tablet to replace the laptop PC. This dream of a hybrid Mac/iPad is just that, a dream; he form factor and human interface I sismply not conducive to acting as a replacement.

Whatever quality/material of the hinge that Apple puts in, the crease will still be there. No one has defied the physics yet.

Yea, opening and folding a screen, as well as aging, often induces changes to the physical properties, the question is how many cycles can it take before it starts to show. My guess is 1 day after AppleCare+ ends.

Flexible ultra-thin glass exists, and it will be interesting to see how foldables play out.
 
I like the idea of a folding phone, and I'm sure Samsung can build a display that Apple has designed in order to limit the crease. Two cameras suggest that it will be able to do spatial video, which is also a requirement for me. But, the absence of Face ID is a real problem. Fingerprint readers seldom work well for my fingers. Various security systems which require fingerprints always pose a problem for me. Perhaps I should've had a career as a burglar. I will have to try it out under a variety of conditions, before purchasing.
 
Instant buy, if it feels small as my iPhone 13 mini (5.4" vs 5.5" display) and runs iPadOS when unfolded.
 
Google and Microsoft tried the mini pocketbook format and walked away from it. It didn't sell. Apple is rumored to have similar dimensions, so I am both curious and concerned. Let's wait and see! I do want to try it for myself next year (if the rumors are true)!
 


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

Foldable-iPhone-2023-Feature-Homescreen.jpg

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
The five people that want this will be happy.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.