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iPhone Fold Expected to Claim 22% of Foldable Market, 34% of Revenue in First Year
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How many people actually need a tablet on the go? You'll get a better phone and tablet experience for half the price by just keeping them separate.
Eh I don’t think the technology is particularly interesting…others have been making foldables for 5+ years already and tbh I think they’re less than the sum of their parts.
Few things in consumer electronics are about need. The bigger issue is that foldables just aren’t very good devices. They’re thicker than a normal phone when folded but way more fragile, they’re weird and unwieldy when unfolded (which seems to happen rarely), they’re way more expensive but have less features…I feel like it’s 3D TVs all over again.
I love all these companies just pull numbers out of their rear end.
iPhone X = $999
iPhone XR = $749
iPhone 17 = $799
Core technologies always cascade down to mainstream models.
Only myopic analysts think this fold and future models will stay at $2,499.
Oh I currently use like 40 GB cuz I got everything in a cloud and barely anything locally but it's like a principal thing 😅 in case I ever need it
Those here who are making the wholesale claim that folding phones are useless, choose to remain closed minded, most of whom have not owned a folding phone.
Those who are open minded to technology and its possibilities, take a wait and see position. Knowing that these devices will either succeed or fail.
Big major tech companies like Apple and Samsung have researched and done their due diligence before proceeding further. That's a normal process for them.
Now that Samsung and others have enjoyed some success over a few generations, it’s lured Apple into this space. Apple is far from perfect, but they do have plenty of resources to try and compete.
At the end of the day, these are expensive but are able to do so much more than a conventional iPhone. Its unique capabilities exceed what I use my iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPad mini for.
I've learned this first hand with my Z Fold7. It has increased my interest in the upcoming iPhone Fold or whatever they call it.
Those who are open minded to technology and its possibilities, take a wait and see position. Knowing that these devices will either succeed or fail.
Big major tech companies like Apple and Samsung have researched and done their due diligence before proceeding further. That's a normal process for them.
Now that Samsung and others have enjoyed some success over a few generations, it’s lured Apple into this space. Apple is far from perfect, but they do have plenty of resources to try and compete.
At the end of the day, these are expensive but are able to do so much more than a conventional iPhone. Its unique capabilities exceed what I use my iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPad mini for.
I've learned this first hand with my Z Fold7. It has increased my interest in the upcoming iPhone Fold or whatever they call it.
This should be fun no matter how it turns out.
It’s possible Apple had some brilliant innovation that makes foldables make sense. Something so genius it’ll revolutionize the phone industry.
It’s also possible they’re charging double the price for the worst iPhone, that transforms into the worst iPad.
Either we get something cool, or we all get to laugh at another Tim Cook dud. It’s a win/win.
It’s possible Apple had some brilliant innovation that makes foldables make sense. Something so genius it’ll revolutionize the phone industry.
It’s also possible they’re charging double the price for the worst iPhone, that transforms into the worst iPad.
Either we get something cool, or we all get to laugh at another Tim Cook dud. It’s a win/win.
No idea where these prices are coming from.
Look at Samsung and apple’s current lineup.
Galaxy S25: launched at $799
iPhone 17: launched at $799
Galaxy Edge: $1099
iPhone Air: $999
Galaxy S25 Ultra: $1299
iPhone 17 Pro Max: $1199
Either the phones are at the same price, or within $100 of each other.
Why all of a sudden should we expect this folding iPhone, built with technology from Samsungs folding phone, to cost significantly more?
The Google Pixel Fold, Galaxy ZFold7, the 1+ Open are all in that $1700-2000 range. Seems quite likely Apple will be within that range as well, likely at the higher end of that range but still. The Galaxy Fold has started under $2000 literally since it launched in 2019, no idea why there is this idea that Apple is going to come in at $2500-3000 for… a 7.6 inch screen.
That’s not going to happen, despite what the critics usually say Apple is pretty competitive especially with their most popular products.
Even the iPhone X wasn’t really that far off from its competitors at launch, that years Galaxy Note 8 was announced about a month before with a starting price of $950.
Look at Samsung and apple’s current lineup.
Galaxy S25: launched at $799
iPhone 17: launched at $799
Galaxy Edge: $1099
iPhone Air: $999
Galaxy S25 Ultra: $1299
iPhone 17 Pro Max: $1199
Either the phones are at the same price, or within $100 of each other.
Why all of a sudden should we expect this folding iPhone, built with technology from Samsungs folding phone, to cost significantly more?
The Google Pixel Fold, Galaxy ZFold7, the 1+ Open are all in that $1700-2000 range. Seems quite likely Apple will be within that range as well, likely at the higher end of that range but still. The Galaxy Fold has started under $2000 literally since it launched in 2019, no idea why there is this idea that Apple is going to come in at $2500-3000 for… a 7.6 inch screen.
That’s not going to happen, despite what the critics usually say Apple is pretty competitive especially with their most popular products.
Even the iPhone X wasn’t really that far off from its competitors at launch, that years Galaxy Note 8 was announced about a month before with a starting price of $950.
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It’s just a phone. It will be a very expensive phone. A small amount of people will buy it, there’ll be forum and YouTube chatter about it, but it will be a niche prestige product. As such, it won’t affect Apple’s bottom line that much one way or the other.
It’s primarily the base iPhone 17 that’s selling big volume, and the the iPhone pro and pro max. It’s very doubtful that’s going to change.
It’s primarily the base iPhone 17 that’s selling big volume, and the the iPhone pro and pro max. It’s very doubtful that’s going to change.
Not sure how IDC come up with this market expectation and let them believe this will happen?
Did they saw the actual 'iPhone Fold" before making their post?
Did they saw the actual 'iPhone Fold" before making their post?
I am interested in one as I had a Galaxy Fold and I did like it. But the cost and the durability will determine my interest.
And what of those of us who HAVE played with folding phones and still can't figure out what they're good for? I can't for the life of me think what I would use one for. I would even choose to continue using my ancient iPad Air 2 over over one!
For me, a folding phone is the worst of both worlds. A compromised phone that unfolds into a compromised tablet that's too small to be useful. I'm not saying they can't be useful to anyone, I'm sure there are a fair few people who would agree with you that they're great. What I am saying is that they're a niche product, useful to a few, a new toy to others, and an expensive irrelevance to most.
iPhones are pretty expensive for most people everywhere in the planet, at that price it will be a truly wealthy people item.
And to be replaced every year by a color update?. Not sure the market can support a yearly “upgrade” at that price. So the phone must last at least 5 years with good battery life.
And to be replaced every year by a color update?. Not sure the market can support a yearly “upgrade” at that price. So the phone must last at least 5 years with good battery life.
Thank you. So many contortions from so many people and companies for so long just to avoid using a laptop.
Since foldables are currently 2.5% of the smartphone market, then with the expected 30% increase, that would amount to 0.7% of the smartphone market. I mean, okay, why not.
I use as secondary device a foldable, at first seemed basically a gimmick. After a few weeks of use, there is no going back.
The thickness and weigh are so similar to a pro max, the famous crease is negligible and not a deal breaker as some overly-vocal-but-monitory guys make it appear.
The thickness and weigh are so similar to a pro max, the famous crease is negligible and not a deal breaker as some overly-vocal-but-monitory guys make it appear.
The ~17 million foldable devices sold in 2024 made up only ~1.5% of all smartphone sales. In that time Apple alone sold over 225 million smartphones, I’d say it’s pretty niche. The expected 22% of foldables Apple is expected to take would only amount to ~3.7 million.
Millions might sound big on its own, but when the yearly unit sales of smartphones top 1 billion, it doesn’t amount to a huge market share.
I'll go out on a limb and speculate that the Fold might be Apple's first iPhone with base storage of 512GB, to maybe take a slight sting out of the price. Agree on the cameras--they need to be pro-quality, with all the same features as on the 17 Pro Max if not better. But that might mean a camera plateau/bump on the rear whose height will be similar to that on the Pro non-folding iPhones.
Current rumor on the number of screens Samsung has contracted with Apple to make is enough to produce about 10-11 million Folds. That plus your figures has me wondering if Apple plans to keep the same display in the following year's Fold model.