I don’t see what the big deal is. Apple created foldable phones with the iPhone 6.
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Samsung Claims Foldable Phones Are Going Mainstream
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Apple hasn't brought one out yet because they are slowly preparing you for the massive price.
it will be dead eventually just like its predecessors in the 90s. plus the screen....it's as good as much as how many time it is folded
When I read that some vendors were looking to use some form of projector idea to fill the crease, I was about to be ill...
Pocket lint, dirt, other detritus would play hell with that kind of design. Yeah, no, hard pass, owning the first foldable phone is not worth that kind of kludge.
And *everything* will eventually fail on a crease line. Some things quicker than others.
Foldables are not the future of the smartphone, but its an important niche, just like every category Apple got into with the iPad and iPhone. The company realized some people just want big phones hence the iPhone 6. I also think its a similar case for the iPhone Mini. I think relative to the industry, the Mini is likely a success, but based on Apples standards, they don't see it that way. But, I am not surprised if Apple externally is testing this, its just logical for them to do so. Exacting standards which is the display technology is just not where they want it to be.
It is/was going "mainstream," mainly because Samsung set the Flip 3 price at $999 base. It's the first time foldables reached that price point. And it did sell a lot, a lot more than before. It's not iPhone/Galaxy A level of volume, but Samsung was selling more foldables than before.
But, imo it will truly go mainstream is Samsung can push the price further down, which is very difficult now due to inflation. I don't think the Flip4 and Fold4 would do as well since it's highly likely that Samsung will need to up the price. Samsung is already having a hard time selling their "best seller" A lineup with the price increase, and I don't think it would be easier with the much more expensive Flip/Fold.
But, imo it will truly go mainstream is Samsung can push the price further down, which is very difficult now due to inflation. I don't think the Flip4 and Fold4 would do as well since it's highly likely that Samsung will need to up the price. Samsung is already having a hard time selling their "best seller" A lineup with the price increase, and I don't think it would be easier with the much more expensive Flip/Fold.
No, it's still a problem. I mean it's obvious. Moving parts increases wear and tear. It's physics.
My geriatric mother finally bought her first smart phone.... a folding phone. She said she walked into the shop, said she wanted a phone small enough to fit in her pocket, but with the biggest screen possible so that she could read it with her ageing eyes easily. She walked out with a folding phone.
She still has no idea how to send messages, and all her friends and family know that sending her any will result in them remaining unread.
I was mightily impressed that she'd finally made the jump to a smart phone.
She still has no idea how to send messages, and all her friends and family know that sending her any will result in them remaining unread.
I was mightily impressed that she'd finally made the jump to a smart phone.
Darth Tulhu
macrumors 68020
I don't care about this.
Wearable holographics are the future, not this bendy crap.
It's cool tech, no doubt, but pointless as far as I'm concerned.
Wearable holographics are the future, not this bendy crap.
It's cool tech, no doubt, but pointless as far as I'm concerned.
New technologies do not need Apple approval. As far as smartphones are concerned, new tech typically goes mainstream a few years before Apple adopts it (examples: AMOLED screens, NFC, large screens, telescopic lenses, multi-lens cameras, underscreen fingerprint sensors etc.). In most cases though Apple fans will claim that the tech is not ready until Apple starts using it. But what else would you expect? They are not going to admit (even to themselves) that they are stuck with outdated tech.
It will need to do more than just 80 folds a day, Samsung! Maybe 🤔 Sammy forgot that factor of their device.
Looking forward to Apple's first foldable. Waiting to see the improvements in Samsung's Flip and Fold lineup in August.
Not only the screen is a problem but also the hinge, it’s the first thing to brake and not watertight.
The te h could be used for curved VR screens but not yet for phones, unless the market itself forces Apple.
The te h could be used for curved VR screens but not yet for phones, unless the market itself forces Apple.
Apple has been using foldable OLED tech since the iPhone X. It's how Apple managed to do the edge to edge look while many Androids were having chins.
I doubt Apple would do a foldable iPhone. The line is Apple's main cash cow, and it's too risky to play around with the product. I'd imagine we will see something like a curved Apple Watch first, and then the tech being expanded to be used on a Macbook or iPad.
Foldable phone, unfortunately, imo is not the use case for the tech. I have seen people with Z Flips, and when they put their phones on the table, it's unfolded so they can use it right away instead of having to unfold it first. Might as well use the regular slab form factor.
The form factor that makes a bit of sense is a foldable tablet, something that the Galaxy Fold is trying to do. And it's still usable as a smartphone even when folded. But the actual ideal size/aspect ratio might still be up in the air.
Just last week I was watching a YouTube do a retrospective on the first iPhone, he was lamenting how they don’t make iPhones that small anymore and claimed he would buy one up in a heartbeat. Then he slid his current iPhone next to it and it was the 13 Pro Max, not the mini 🤦♂️.
well look at it like a fusion of a phone and a taplet without having the phablet form factor wen just using the phone, yes it@s thicker but fingers can still reach the enire screaan fore one handed ops
Analyst Ming-Chi [...] believes Apple's first foldable device may be a hybrid iPhone and iPad [...].
What kind of bizarre drugs is this poor man on?
What kind of bizarre drugs is this poor man on?
The tech is where?
I've read pretty much of apt patents and reviews, so what do you have in the way of top secret information? Sources pls.
My first strong interest rather gave way to boredom and "I don't need such compromises".
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I honestly don't think apple will be able to make foldable smartphones that are competitive with Samsung's in price, even if they want to. In all these years Samsung is learning and optimizing their production/assembly lines and this will serve them well in the long run VS the competition. So I suspect the possible Apple foldable smartphones will be the most expensive on the market at first.
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So what do they do when they put it in their pocket or purse? Answer, and because I have one too, is I fold it, since that's why I got a foldable in the first place -- to take up less room in my pocket.
For those who are not glued to their smartphones, it's fine. But imo that's a minority. Most people are glued to their smartphone and the unfolding action will get old fast. That is with the flip concept though. The Galaxy Fold concept makes more sense, as the phone is already usable as a smartphone without having to unfold.