Personally I think a hologram/AR projecting kind of interface being the next real thing. Unless we are able to create some kind of material that equals current quality and durability similar to the current touchscreen it is going to be mostly a short lived gimmick “because competitors have it”. (New Gen kids will probably love it)
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No Foldable iPhone Expected Until 2023 at the Earliest, But 2024 More Likely
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I'm not so sure Apple is actually headed this direction.
Curious we haven't heard anything about the existing foldable phones lately. Wonder how they're holding up. At first they weren't doing well.
Curious we haven't heard anything about the existing foldable phones lately. Wonder how they're holding up. At first they weren't doing well.
It’s interesting how there are likely a lot of people on these forums who were too young when the Palm, Treo, iPaq and other similar PDA’s and eventually smart phones came to market. They have zero context of why the market moved to the current slab style devices. They get all excited about hinges or folding screens, but don’t realize that hinged flip phones died for a reason - because the hinge was huge failure point. And the plastic covered screens of the day (which are similar to the UTG folding screens today) were horrible after a year’s worth of use, which back then we didn’t use the “smart” devices like we do today because they were painfully slow or simply couldn’t do what we expect from the devices of today. So you have two features of a folding phone that are physically prone to getting damaged, where both are integral parts of the user experience - that’s not a great combination for a device that gets used hundreds of times per day.
I remember buying my first cell phone - a bag-phone that I had to buy from some small commercial communications provider - there were no normal cell service providers back in the early ‘90’s. And even though it had to be plugged in to be used (using a cigarette lighter plug in the car), it was a game changer for me as I traveled all over the country for work. And the cost to call on these phones was exorbitant, where you paid by the minute on top of getting only a certain number of calls per month, which you paid also paid for. It’s fun thinking back to where things started.
2024 is when I'm due to upgrade. Not sure if I would hop on the foldable train for the first version. So far if I had to get a foldable phone I would want something that takes the approach of the Surface Duo. I don't trust the durability of plastic screens being folded and unfolded multiple times a day.
I really don’t think so.
The first Galaxy note came out in 2011, but most of the world got it in 2012.
By 2013 it was definitely a trend, and Apple basically had no choice but to make bigger phones. Thats 2-3 years.
Late 2011 but mainly 2012, the Galaxy note comes out.
2014: Apple is basically forced to respond to the demand.
It’s been almost 3 years since the first galaxy fold was introduced, and… I still don’t think the demand is there.
Apple does a lot of things right, but please, let's not deify them. Eg, the Apple Pencil that stuck out the bottom of an iPad for charging, or the charge port on the bottom of their mouse.
I understand the appeal of a larger screen, but I'm not 100% convinced by the folding phone. That said, I'll likely be swayed one day.
My personal preference would be to have an iPad for all the big screen stuff I want to do and a watch to cover everything else (calls, texts, camera etc.) I know that isn't likely, but I think this would be a more convenient solution.
Another alternate is a pair of glasses that will allow you to do everything from them. That also seems a good way off.
My personal preference would be to have an iPad for all the big screen stuff I want to do and a watch to cover everything else (calls, texts, camera etc.) I know that isn't likely, but I think this would be a more convenient solution.
Another alternate is a pair of glasses that will allow you to do everything from them. That also seems a good way off.
If I got a folding phone, I'd rather have a Fold 3. Personally, I don't have a problem with current sized flat phones. The large screen area seems more useful. But to each their own.
Yeah, agree here.
All these rumors just remind me of the iPhone nano, rumored between 2009 and 2011. Recent emails have came out showing that Apple was indeed working on an iPhone nano, but it never happened.
Same with the rumored 60+ inch Apple HDTV that was rumored around 2012. A lot of extremely reliable sources were saying that Apple would be introducing an HDTV that was around 60 to 65 inches, and it just… never happened.
I expect the same thing with the folding iPhone.
This entire folding phone thing just reminds me so much of 3-D TVs, companies spend a good three years hyping them up, finally release them, customers get all excited, they’re all over advertisements, it’s gonna be the next big thing and then… nothing.
Customers try them out, realize all of the compromises that exist just to get them working properly and slowly companies just drop all the ads and promotion and kind of just let them die off.
The Samsung pie is bigger than Apple pie, so comparing sales to iPhone models do make sense.
The goal is probably to bait them into releasing a foldable phone when they know that Apple won’t be able to overcome its problems which would generate a massive amount of negative PR, their competitors release so many randomly named phones with different gimmicks that it’s easy for them to hide failures like a sort of designed obfuscation but a foldable iPhone that has all the same problems as it’s competition would be considerably more damaging to Apple.
Darth Tulhu
macrumors 68020
As cool and sci-fi it would be to see an iPhone that folds out into an iPad Mini, I personally have no interest in having one.
Even the iPhone is somewhat moot in my computing style; a cellular-equipped, self-contained Watch, AirPods, and iPad Pro would be a more useful combo for me.
I'm of the mind that if the eventual Glasses have decent AR, then that'll be the way forward (until the Matrix).
I see wearables as the future, and where the puck is going to be.
Nothing against foldables, though. I like that the tech is being refined.
Even the iPhone is somewhat moot in my computing style; a cellular-equipped, self-contained Watch, AirPods, and iPad Pro would be a more useful combo for me.
I'm of the mind that if the eventual Glasses have decent AR, then that'll be the way forward (until the Matrix).
I see wearables as the future, and where the puck is going to be.
Nothing against foldables, though. I like that the tech is being refined.
Foldables are great pieces of tech and innovation. Sadly as always apple are always way behind the competition. Hopefully it will be worth it when it finally arrives
16. Folding and unfolding the iFold 100,000 times in a pool full of slime!!!?DOES IT SURVIVE?
While cool in concept, I don't think these will ever be as durable or long lasting as a non-foldable screen. I guess if people are willing to accept a shorter lifespan there might be a market for such a gadget.
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You mean you can damage a device if you try? Shocker. I can scratch my iPhone screen too
You posted a 3 year old image to make a point. Very odd
said:
This was Galaxy Fold 3. 
www.androidcentral.com
Yes, you can still damage the Z Fold 3 screen with an S Pen or fingernail
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 are two amazing phones with better-than-ever screens, but their foldable nature means they could be more prone to damage than a normal flat ...
www.androidcentral.com
You mean you can damage a device if you try? Shocker. I can scratch my iPhone screen too
You posted a 3 year old image to make a point. Very odd
I hope they make a foldable phone sooner rather than later, but I like the flip phone type not the tablet type. I even have a Samsung Flip 3 and love it, but I wish it were a little lighter. It's quite heavy, but it does fit in small pockets and doesn't slide out easily while sitting down like my old iPhone 11 PM did.
I replaced the 11 with an iPhone 13 Mini, and the weight is great, but the screen is way smaller than my Samsung Flip. If I could have the processor and OS of my 13 inside the flip with the Samsung screen and form factor, that'd be pretty much perfect!
I replaced the 11 with an iPhone 13 Mini, and the weight is great, but the screen is way smaller than my Samsung Flip. If I could have the processor and OS of my 13 inside the flip with the Samsung screen and form factor, that'd be pretty much perfect!
A folding phone is entirely new engineering challenge compared to a 6-inch phablet.
Give it a bit more time.
Nah… it will never come. Apple wants you to buy both iPad and iPhone. Just like the fact that there is no touchscreen Mac. So you have to buy both Mac and iPad.
The Motorolla Razr (new version) is thin with a chin, but the Samsung Flip 3 has no chin.
I had one of those in '95.
My favorite phone of all time was a Blackberry Pearl -- a smart flip phone, with a tiny screen compared to any smart phone today. I never had a problem with the hinge on any phone I owned and I've always been partial to flips until i couldn't buy a smart one anymore -- now I can again.