Fantastic demonstration of why no one would want something like this.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Primitive Folding iPhone Built From Motorola Razr and iPhone Parts
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
This is what I'm hoping for foldable wise in the future as well. One device that could function both as an iPhone and iPad
I think foldables will be the future. The problem is most people don't share that vision until it happens. All the features you have on your iPhone 14 Pro now were once considered gimmicks. Meanwhile enthusiasts have been enjoying/frustrated with cutting edge tech until it becomes mainstream enough for the avg basic iPhone user.
I mean, the jank is strong with this one, but holy cow kudos for getting it to work at all.
Then, when you collect the watches in all five colorsI mean, if they're gonna do that, they might as well go all out:
Surprised that I liked it more than I thought I would. Still don’t quite see the point of foldable phones.
It’s, its, alive ……. As soon as I perform a reboot.
Apple Fingerless Gloves?I mean, if they're gonna do that, they might as well go all out:
No thank you.
They will.
Then all the people on here crying how dumb folding phones are will be lined up to buy them
Most likely yes but I've been holding out for the hand tablet/mobile devices from The Expanse:
I wish an iPhone mini, that unfolds into an iPad mini. It may be 3 times thicker when folded, I don’t care.
Stuff like this makes me happy that there are people out there willing to experiment, make a proof-of-concept, and put it on display for the world to see. I would be thrilled to work along those folks.
I don't disagree that often times tech takes a while to become the widespread products everyone thinks happen by magic. However, there is also PLENTY of tech that goes nowhere because while it might be "cool" it doesn't find a broad enough purpose to actually go anywhere. There is also amazing tech that never finds the right marketing to take off even though it has great potential. Touchscreens were gimmicky for a LONG time. They were "cool" but didn't actually make anything better. It just did exactly as the name implied, let you "touch" the screen. But since it stopped there, it never went anywhere. Fast forward to the iPhone and now we have a product that uses it, but in a much larger context and makes it actually not a gimmick.
Foldable devices, the way they are today are very much the cool idea with no broad purpose. All it does currently is to take something and allow it's dimensions to be doubled. Twice as thick to half as thick, but only for it's own purpose. It doesn't advance anything. There are phones with both smaller and larger screens, screens on more than one side, etc.... The foldable phone doesn't bring anything to the party other than the fact of what it is...a foldable display.
If foldable devices are going to be the future, then it won't be because they are foldable, it will be because a foldable display is in some new device and it augments that device and makes it cool. As someone else mentioned, The Expanse devices are sweet! But only so because they would have transparent circuits, transparent batteries, etc.... not because it is a slim piece of plastic.
The benefit is a sense of accomplishment and ad revenue from views.
I feel like a foldable phone is still not really something I'd want. It would be more cosmetic if they could have 2 pieces of glass that connected together at opening vs bending plastic. I just don't see it holding up long term. I also don't want to have to open it every time I want to glance at something, adding time. If you need quick texts/info, get a Watch and leave the phone alone. Personally, I'd like to see an even larger battery and thicker phone, 20-40% thicker.
