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Hardly. The first five generations of the iPad Mini were 7.9" displays. The 7.6" of Pixel Fold and Fold 4 offer an overwhelmingly more satisfying experience for watching videos or reading eBooks over my previous slab phones.

As for "mediocre phone", Android and iOS both have their strengths and weaknesses. I prefer the widgets and customization of Android, but it's the true multitasking/multiwindow support that makes foldables shine. That's the secret sauce missing in iOS -- and, no, lame Stage Manager isn't the answer.

There are two reasons Apple can't or won't make a foldable iPhone Ultra right now. One is software and the other is hardware. iOS/iPadOS has mediocre multiapp/multiwindow support, and without proper functionality you lose many of the benefits of a foldable. It is pointless to unfold an iPhone just to have the same limitations of an iPad Mini, but Android foldables do much more than that.

Reason two is Apple would be reliant on Samsung Display to supply the foldable glass, just like Apple relies on Samsung now for iPhone displays.
I mean objectively it's 12mm thick phone in your pocket which makes it thicker than any other flagship phone. So it's not an ideal phone.

And as far as tablets go I guess you could make the argument it's no worse than the mini, but if i'm getting a tablet I'll grab something that's got at least as big of a screen as the air.

So for me it's just 2 mediocre device in one.
 
I mean objectively it's 12mm thick phone in your pocket which makes it thicker than any other flagship phone. So it's not an ideal phone.

And as far as tablets go I guess you could make the argument it's no worse than the mini, but if i'm getting a tablet I'll grab something that's got at least as big of a screen as the air.

So for me it's just 2 mediocre device in one.
That's for you. For me, the Z Fold 4 is more comfortable in my pocket than my 12 Pro Max was, and it's thicker than the Pixel Fold. And no, I don't wear skinny or tight jeans.
 
If there's anything that Apple copies from Google this go around, I hope it's the speaker dock for a shareable iPad.

I am still super on the fence about the folding phones. I sorta see the utility, because I find even the Pro Max screen too fiddly for certain tasks, but those aren't tasks I'm trying to do on the go every day anyway. A regular slab phone is enough for 99.9% of my needs when I'm not home, and nowhere near as expensive.
 
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The intelligence features are impressive. Apple is so far behind its hilarious.

That being said, $1800 for a foldable is also equally hilarious.
Exactly when I went to look at VZW when I got my Z Flip, I also looked the the Fold but then looked away fast when I saw the price. And I don't even think they had a trade in promo for it.
 
As mentioned in the similar thread, https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/apple-is-last-to-the-foldables-market-in-the-us.2388163/, I understand not everyone needs (or wants) a foldable but the current reasons why "foldables suck" are just a rehash of 1st-gen criticisms. I skipped early versions of foldables and shook my head at the first Samsung Fold too, deriding it for all the same reasons commonly listed (bulky, heavy, fragile, etc.). However, the Fold 4 (and Pixel Fold) are truly primetime-ready.

My Fold 4 with screen protector and case weighs only a single ounce more than my iPhone 12 Pro Max with screen protector and case, but the Fold 4's weight is better balanced in my hand. While the Fold 4 is thicker, it is also narrower than my iPhone 13 Pro and they both fit into my pants pocket with equal ease.

I've unfortunately dropped my Fold 4 a few times, on kitchen tile, in parking lots, onto concrete and it's been fine, no cracked screens.

Usability is vastly superior with my Fold 4 versus iPhone 12 Pro Max. I can easily see documents or spreadsheets in a Teams or Zoom meeting without constantly zooming and scrolling around. Watching videos or reading an eBook is immensely more enjoyable compared to a smaller display. The larger display makes it easier to navigate and remote into my Macs when away from home. I can have 2-3 app windows open (email, Discord, Slack, Twitter, Insta, etc.) without having to shuffle between background apps. The Fold 4 is a productivity powerhouse and gives me the versatility of two display sizes in a pocketable, easy to one-hand form factor.

Now, let's talk about the crease and why it's overblown like the notch.

The crease is there, I'm not denying that, but you don't feel it nearly as often as imagined. With the screen unfolded, whether you're left- or right-handed, your thumb or finger naturally swipes along the outer third of the screen and not directly down the middle like on a narrower slab phone. Multiple apps can be arranged side-by-side or in quadrants so you're gesturing in either the left or right half of the display, again not feeling the crease in the middle. If you swipe horizontally across the entire screen then you'll feel the crease but it's not a common motion in daily use. The crease is there but you rarely come into contact with it. This is a classic case of making a mountain out of a molehill.

Now, some will say the crease is unsightly but again you'll notice it only at certain angles. When your iPhone screen is off you get to see all the smudges and reflections but all of that disappears when the screen is on. Same thing happens when you use the Fold 4. With most content the bright screen makes the crease literally disappear. Folks like to fixate on the crease but as an actual user of a foldable I can tell you the crease isn't any more distracting than the notch. With normal content the crease completely disappears and can be less distracting than the island:

screenshot_20230503_091937_samsung-internet-jpg.2197002


I think the one valid knock against foldables is high price, but both my 512GB iPhone 12 Pro Max and 1TB iPhone 13 Pro were pretty pricey too. With launch promotions a 512GB Fold 4 was $1400 despite its $1799 list price, no trade-in required. Deals were posted in various MacRumors threads! At the time I bought the Fold 4, a 128GB iPhone 13 Pro was $999 and 64GB WiFi-only iPad Mini was $499. The Fold 4 was ultimately cheaper, had more storage, and lighter to carry around than a combination of base iPhone 13 Pro and iPad Mini. I wouldn't focus too much on the MSRP of foldables. I imagine there will be some nice deals and launch promotions for the Pixel Fold as well.

The Fold 4 doesn't have flagship-level cameras but it's easily comparable to my previous iPhone 12 Pro Max or iPhone 13 Pro so I'm not too disappointed. Overall, the Fold 4 has been a fantastic device and I don't have any desire to go back to a slab phone design. I love MacOS and we have a bunch of other Apple devices in our home (iPhones, iPads, Mini, MacBooks, Mac Studio, Apple Watch, AirPods) but I'm not going back to iOS unless Apple releases a foldable iPhone (with true multiwindow support).
 
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I came away impressed by the innovations Google announced at their I/O event.
  1. Tablet Dock
    In a Stacey on IoT article, Kevin C. Tofel writes that: "On a briefing call with Google last week, the company said that based on its research, people leave tablets around the home, away from their charging cables. The idea of the Charging Speaker Dock is essentially to solve the problem of home-based tablets not having a charge when someone wants to use them."

    What the Google Tablet Dock has shown me is that in the same way 3rd party AirPower charging pads and stands wirelessly charge the smartphone-smartwatch-earbuds personal gadget set on your nightstand, the Tablet Dock can do the same for those tablets being left around the living room that are left unplugged and therefore don't have "a charge when someone wants to use them."
  2. Google Pixel Fold
    Based on the released specs, this is a premium device that doesn't cut corners in its photography capabilities. However, at $1,800, this device is likely to remain a product that's out of reach for most consumers. According to Christopher Grant at the Verge, "Parenthood has reconstructed my brain at the molecular level to respond positively when I hear something is “a heck of a good deal.”" I like the product, but I agree with Mr. Grant that "smartphones are increasingly a commoditized category" and "It would take something really innovative beyond a faster processor and a fancier camera array to convince me it’s worth more than $250."
  3. Immersive View for Maps
    The pictures show that Google has redesigned Maps to look like a video game or lifelike virtual model of cities and communities. I think it simply enhances the fun factor of using Maps. It reminded me of the Nintendo Wii's Forecast Channel, which demonstrated to me long ago the funness of beautiful software.
 
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As mentioned in the similar thread, https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/apple-is-last-to-the-foldables-market-in-the-us.2388163/, I understand not everyone needs (or wants) a foldable but the current reasons why "foldables suck" are just a rehash of 1st-gen criticisms. I skipped early versions of foldables and shook my head at the first Samsung Fold too, deriding it for all the same reasons commonly listed (bulky, heavy, fragile, etc.). However, the Fold 4 (and Pixel Fold) are truly primetime-ready.

My Fold 4 with screen protector and case weighs only a single ounce more than my iPhone 12 Pro Max with screen protector and case, but the Fold 4's weight is better balanced in my hand. While the Fold 4 is thicker, it is also narrower than my iPhone 13 Pro and they both fit into my pants pocket with equal ease.

I've unfortunately dropped my Fold 4 a few times, on kitchen tile, in parking lots, onto concrete and it's been fine, no cracked screens.

Usability is vastly superior with my Fold 4 versus iPhone 12 Pro Max. I can easily see documents or spreadsheets in a Teams or Zoom meeting without constantly zooming and scrolling around. Watching videos or reading an eBook is immensely more enjoyable compared to a smaller display. The larger display makes it easier to navigate and remote into my Macs when away from home. I can have 2-3 app windows open (email, Discord, Slack, Twitter, Insta, etc.) without having to shuffle between background apps. The Fold 4 is a productivity powerhouse and gives me the versatility of two display sizes in a pocketable, easy to one-hand form factor.

Now, let's talk about the crease and why it's overblown like the notch.

The crease is there, I'm not denying that, but you don't feel it nearly as often as imagined. With the screen unfolded, whether you're left- or right-handed, your thumb or finger naturally swipes along the outer third of the screen and not directly down the middle like on a narrower slab phone. Multiple apps can be arranged side-by-side or in quadrants so you're gesturing in either the left or right half of the display, again not feeling the crease in the middle. If you swipe horizontally across the entire screen then you'll feel the crease but it's not a common motion in daily use. The crease is there but you rarely come into contact with it. This is a classic case of making a mountain out of a molehill.

Now, some will say the crease is unsightly but again you'll notice it only at certain angles. When your iPhone screen is off you get to see all the smudges and reflections but all of that disappears when the screen is on. Same thing happens when you use the Fold 4. With most content the bright screen makes the crease literally disappear. Folks like to fixate on the crease but as an actual user of a foldable I can tell you the crease isn't any more distracting than the notch. With normal content the crease completely disappears and can be less distracting than the island:

screenshot_20230503_091937_samsung-internet-jpg.2197002


I think the one valid knock against foldables is high price, but both my 512GB iPhone 12 Pro Max and 1TB iPhone 13 Pro were pretty pricey too. With launch promotions a 512GB Fold 4 was $1400 despite its $1799 list price, no trade-in required. Deals were posted in various MacRumors threads! At the time I bought the Fold 4, a 128GB iPhone 13 Pro was $999 and 64GB WiFi-only iPad Mini was $499. The Fold 4 was ultimately cheaper, had more storage, and lighter to carry around than a combination of base iPhone 13 Pro and iPad Mini. I wouldn't focus too much on the MSRP of foldables. I imagine there will be some nice deals and launch promotions for the Pixel Fold as well.

The Fold 4 doesn't have flagship-level cameras but it's easily comparable to my previous iPhone 12 Pro Max or iPhone 13 Pro so I'm not too disappointed. Overall, the Fold 4 has been a fantastic device and I don't have any desire to go back to a slab phone design. I love MacOS and we have a bunch of other Apple devices in our home (iPhones, iPads, Mini, MacBooks, Mac Studio, Apple Watch, AirPods) but I'm not going back to iOS unless Apple releases a foldable iPhone (with true multiwindow support).
Thank you for posting this. The price of foldables is not expensive when you consider it is a cell phone and mini tablet in one device, period. If you can't afford it, that's one thing, but don't try to tell me it's not worth the money because it is. Don't forget about Dex either. It is one of the most underrated features of the Z Fold line. Also, the multi-tasking is unparalleled. Multi-tasking on an iPhone, yeah right! I have a Z Fold 4 and I absolutely love it. Are foldables for everyone, of course not. Every time I've used it in front of an iPhone user they've been blown away by it. I've preordered the Pixel Fold so we will so how it compares in late June. I think a lot of people on MacRumors have never even seen a foldable in person, let alone owned one. I think a lot of the hate stems from iPhone being so boring at this point (and it absolutely is), and deep down people are bitter that Apple hasn't made a foldable yet. Many of these same people will be camping out at Apple stores to get their hands on an Apple foldable, should they release one. When it is all said and done, I think the hate is hilarious and if people want to miss out on an amazing experience, so be it. It is their loss. The sad part is that people are so blinded by the 'Cult of Mac' that they are scared or just plain refuse to break out of the Apple ecosystem. So they continue to regurgitate "that crease" or "Android sucks" and whatnot. Regardless, buy whatever you like, but don't hate on something you've never experienced just for the sake of being a hater. No one finds that appealing.
 
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Funny, when someone pulls out a foldable phone and there is a crease in the middle of the video or content they are trying to show.... I have to laugh as well
No need to laugh. I used the Fold 4 for 10 days. The crease was not noticeable nor bother me while using it. You can certainly feel the crease but the benefits far outweigh the perceived issue. I returned it because of cost, narrow front screen, and reliability of the crease.
 
To be a fair price comparison, you have to price the iPad Mini with cellular because the Pixel Fold has cellular built in as well. Also, my iPad Mini had cellular because why would I not want cellular on both devices?
Don't you have to pay extra data for cellular iPad? Does it do voice too?
 
Don't you have to pay extra data for cellular iPad? Does it do voice too?
Yes, you have to have a cellular plan with data to use cellular on an iPad. My point was, the Pixel Fold will be a cell phone (obviously has cellular) and a mini tablet (also with cellular) in one device so in order to do a fair price comparison with the most recent available hardware, you have to price both an iPhone and an iPad Mini with cellular.
 
As mentioned in the similar thread, https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/apple-is-last-to-the-foldables-market-in-the-us.2388163/, I understand not everyone needs (or wants) a foldable but the current reasons why "foldables suck" are just a rehash of 1st-gen criticisms. I skipped early versions of foldables and shook my head at the first Samsung Fold too, deriding it for all the same reasons commonly listed (bulky, heavy, fragile, etc.). However, the Fold 4 (and Pixel Fold) are truly primetime-ready.

My Fold 4 with screen protector and case weighs only a single ounce more than my iPhone 12 Pro Max with screen protector and case, but the Fold 4's weight is better balanced in my hand. While the Fold 4 is thicker, it is also narrower than my iPhone 13 Pro and they both fit into my pants pocket with equal ease.

I've unfortunately dropped my Fold 4 a few times, on kitchen tile, in parking lots, onto concrete and it's been fine, no cracked screens.

Usability is vastly superior with my Fold 4 versus iPhone 12 Pro Max. I can easily see documents or spreadsheets in a Teams or Zoom meeting without constantly zooming and scrolling around. Watching videos or reading an eBook is immensely more enjoyable compared to a smaller display. The larger display makes it easier to navigate and remote into my Macs when away from home. I can have 2-3 app windows open (email, Discord, Slack, Twitter, Insta, etc.) without having to shuffle between background apps. The Fold 4 is a productivity powerhouse and gives me the versatility of two display sizes in a pocketable, easy to one-hand form factor.

Now, let's talk about the crease and why it's overblown like the notch.

The crease is there, I'm not denying that, but you don't feel it nearly as often as imagined. With the screen unfolded, whether you're left- or right-handed, your thumb or finger naturally swipes along the outer third of the screen and not directly down the middle like on a narrower slab phone. Multiple apps can be arranged side-by-side or in quadrants so you're gesturing in either the left or right half of the display, again not feeling the crease in the middle. If you swipe horizontally across the entire screen then you'll feel the crease but it's not a common motion in daily use. The crease is there but you rarely come into contact with it. This is a classic case of making a mountain out of a molehill.

Now, some will say the crease is unsightly but again you'll notice it only at certain angles. When your iPhone screen is off you get to see all the smudges and reflections but all of that disappears when the screen is on. Same thing happens when you use the Fold 4. With most content the bright screen makes the crease literally disappear. Folks like to fixate on the crease but as an actual user of a foldable I can tell you the crease isn't any more distracting than the notch. With normal content the crease completely disappears and can be less distracting than the island:

screenshot_20230503_091937_samsung-internet-jpg.2197002


I think the one valid knock against foldables is high price, but both my 512GB iPhone 12 Pro Max and 1TB iPhone 13 Pro were pretty pricey too. With launch promotions a 512GB Fold 4 was $1400 despite its $1799 list price, no trade-in required. Deals were posted in various MacRumors threads! At the time I bought the Fold 4, a 128GB iPhone 13 Pro was $999 and 64GB WiFi-only iPad Mini was $499. The Fold 4 was ultimately cheaper, had more storage, and lighter to carry around than a combination of base iPhone 13 Pro and iPad Mini. I wouldn't focus too much on the MSRP of foldables. I imagine there will be some nice deals and launch promotions for the Pixel Fold as well.

The Fold 4 doesn't have flagship-level cameras but it's easily comparable to my previous iPhone 12 Pro Max or iPhone 13 Pro so I'm not too disappointed. Overall, the Fold 4 has been a fantastic device and I don't have any desire to go back to a slab phone design. I love MacOS and we have a bunch of other Apple devices in our home (iPhones, iPads, Mini, MacBooks, Mac Studio, Apple Watch, AirPods) but I'm not going back to iOS unless Apple releases a foldable iPhone (with true multiwindow support).

I think the crease isnt that big of a deal but the fact that the screen can't last more than a year is ridiculous. Lately I've been seeing a lot of "cracked in the center, micro cracks in the crease area, etc" from fold users and Samsung isn't doing anything about it.

Hell Linus just talked about it on the WAN show from Friday because people were asking about the Google Fold. He said his own Fold 4 had micro cracks after almost a year of use. His fold before that also had issues in the crease area that were worse. People in Youtube and Twitch chat were saying Samsung told them they wont fix it and gave them some ******** reason.

Since Google put the hinge hardware above and below the screen instead of behind it, I am hoping this means the screen will be more durable and last longer. I am looking forward to seeing how folding phones evolve before I decide to pick one up. I love being a first adopter and being able to see some to most of my feedback taken seriously by whatever company made the device im using, but I cant have a damaged screen and have the company say "tough ****".

Can't wait for the Pixel Fold in depth teardown from IFixIt and youtubers.
 
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