Google 'Pixel Fold' Delayed Yet Again as Apple Eyes 2025 for Foldable iPhone

[cookedart]

look, manufacturers worked for multiple years to eliminate moving parts. even the home button - which got probably the most wear end tear in every device. if something needs to move, it will wear. this is exponentially true for this telescopic mechanism: let's just forget about the biggest culprit, the screen, and focus on the easy thing.
- the slides, rollers that require reliable "lubrication"
- dust, cloth fibres, random junk must be kept away from the moving parts otherwise those will clog (and you put your phone into your bag/pocket)
- fluids must be kept away, and yes, good bye water resistance (and dust resistance too)
- miniature servos are not rated for such frequent positioning, or special ones need to be developed which drives up cost
- the weight and internal space taken up by this elaborate mechanism
- when extended, the structural integrity of the device is gone
- i hate drop tests, but a device like this would score the lowest (this time legitimately)
- a wrong move, and you wreck the gears for good

so, looks good, but not a great plan

The z fold and flip are IPX8 rated, being as waterproof as any iPhone (i believe the 8 rating says 15-35 ℃, 86-106 kPa, fresh water, up to 1.5 m, up to 30 minutes). They have 'brushes' and seals to minimize the effect of dust particles and the hinge is separated from most electronics.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 drop test proves it's the most durable foldable yet

Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 3 has survived another durability test with flying colors. The phone remained fully functional even after being dropped ten times.

www.androidcentral.com

Drop tests show its quite durable. The inner screen is technically flexible so doesn't crack like its glass outer screen.

 

[ninethirty]

Except the z Fold does essentially match the screen size of an iPad mini (the older generation mini 5). Which I believe is, in fact, an iPad.

The iPad mini is basically a large phone. If a foldable phone can't turn into an iPad Pro without being a brick in my pocket then it's useless.

Foldable phones are a solution in search of a problem, and I'm not at all surprised to regularly hear that Apple's foldable is still 3+ years away.

 

[cookedart]

The iPad mini is basically a large phone. If a foldable phone can't turn into an iPad Pro without being a brick in my pocket then it's useless.

Foldable phones are a solution in search of a problem, and I'm not at all surprised to regularly hear that Apple's foldable is still 3+ years away.

Can the extra screen size of an iPhone Pro Max do more than an iPhone mini? Likewise, can an iPad mini do more than an iPhone?

The extra size is hardly useless. It doesn't have to be an iPad pro to be useful, either.

 

[The Game 161]

The iPad mini is basically a large phone. If a foldable phone can't turn into an iPad Pro without being a brick in my pocket then it's useless.

Foldable phones are a solution in search of a problem, and I'm not at all surprised to regularly hear that Apple's foldable is still 3+ years away.

the pro max to mini is still a noticeable jump in size. mini can do more multitasking wise than the iPhone can do

 

[lazyrighteye]

Was the seamless AS transition not innovative enough for you? What about the range of chips with great power and superb low-power consumtion? Is the tech behind the M1-Ultra not innovative enough?

Apple isn't going to release a folding phone until the hinge/screen tech is mature enough because no one cuts them slack like they do other companies. If Apple's foldable broke on launch day, like the the Z-Fold1 did, we would still be hearing about fold-gate. There are reports of Samsung not covering folding screen issues under warranty, despite promising they would; can you imagine if Apple did that?

TLDR - Samsung can release a Z-Fold1, Apple has to release a Z-Fold4.

Exactly. Apple is held to a completely different standard than anyone else in their category. Which is both fine and expected when you're a leader in any segment. This expectation, in part, has kept them delivering arguably the best end-to-end solutions.

I honestly can't imagine Apple releasing a foldable, expandable, whatever-abel device that has creases in the screen. Instead, they would either A) wait until the tech caught up to the concept and then release or B) not release at all because C) they (and everyone here) know(s) damn well that if they released a device with creases in the screen, we would never stop reading about it. Ever. It would be held over their heads for the rest of time. People would demand Tim step down. Someone would mention Steve Jobs. For sure Jonny Ives' name would surface. It would be an unflinching mess. Forever.

If (and that is still a big if) Apple does release some screen size changing device, you know it will make all these other first-to-market solutions look as ridiculous as they already do. And they's likely sell millions. But they do have to be careful how it is positioned. Don't want to cannibalize iPhone or iPad sales.

 

[swm]

The z fold and flip are IPX8 rated, being as waterproof as any iPhone (i believe the 8 rating says 15-35 ℃, 86-106 kPa, fresh water, up to 1.5 m, up to 30 minutes). They have 'brushes' and seals to minimize the effect of dust particles and the hinge is separated from most electronics.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 drop test proves it's the most durable foldable yet

Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 3 has survived another durability test with flying colors. The phone remained fully functional even after being dropped ten times.

www.androidcentral.com

Drop tests show its quite durable. The inner screen is technically flexible so doesn't crack like its glass outer screen.

nice. but i was referring to this telescopic sliding thing on the video before.
anyway, brushes, moving seals and other tricks can help keeping the unwanted things to get inside, but they never beat having no moving parts in the first place.