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Apple is going to have a foldable phone without a crease — that’s why they haven’t released one until now. They didn’t want to launch a prototype on the market. Respect.

fold_7_broken.jpeg
 
I've seen foldable phones and they just seemed like a gimmick. Last night I had dinner with a friend who had the new Galaxy Z Fold 7.

I own every product in the Apple store and this was the first thing I've seen that made me want to ditch my iPhone. I couldn't believe how amazing it was. Folded it was thinner than my iPhone 16 Pro Max. Videos on the open screen were breathtaking, and there was no hint of a seam down the middle. And this this is so thin when opened you just can't believe it.

I haven't been to MacRumors in awhile, so I went and looked and they peg an Apple foldable phone for fall of NEXT YEAR.

What in the world is going on at Apple? They have all the cash in the world, all the top people, and they just can't do this stuff?

Honestly, this phone made my iPhone look like a Gen 1 product. If you haven't held one, you will first be amazed at the phone itself, but as that wears off you will just get madder and madder thinking about how Apple missed this. It's like the company has been asleep for five plus years.
I agree with you. I have one and it's hard for me to leave apple but man this fold is really nice. I mean there are some things that I don't like about it but there are also things about the iPhone I don't like either. But from a multitasking and video watching it blows the iPhone out the water. I don't know why apple won't let us open two apps at the same time sharing the same screen. I know not all people want folds but they don't have to buy them either.
 
why would Apple change their product strategy? They are releasing for years nearly the same device (iPhones) every year and make billions out of it.
Low efforts in real change and still making billions of dollars, many companies are jealous of Apple
 
I want the foldable iPhone depending on how large it is when folded. It may be what gets me to upgrade from my 13 Mini.

I do not like Android so I’ll patiently wait.
 
I've seen foldable phones and they just seemed like a gimmick. Last night I had dinner with a friend who had the new Galaxy Z Fold 7.

I own every product in the Apple store and this was the first thing I've seen that made me want to ditch my iPhone. I couldn't believe how amazing it was. Folded it was thinner than my iPhone 16 Pro Max. Videos on the open screen were breathtaking, and there was no hint of a seam down the middle. And this this is so thin when opened you just can't believe it.

I haven't been to MacRumors in awhile, so I went and looked and they peg an Apple foldable phone for fall of NEXT YEAR.

What in the world is going on at Apple? They have all the cash in the world, all the top people, and they just can't do this stuff?

Honestly, this phone made my iPhone look like a Gen 1 product. If you haven't held one, you will first be amazed at the phone itself, but as that wears off you will just get madder and madder thinking about how Apple missed this. It's like the company has been asleep for five plus years.
I've only owned iPhones but I've been going to stores to try every generation of Samsung folding products. Consider this: Apple is going to be using a Samsung screen on their foldable and it will be even more improved over the current offering. So if you can wait a year, you can get your Apple foldable. But the fold 7 really is something that must be held to be believed, even if you've used a previous model. For me, I'm considering adopting their tri-fold.
 
The rumored iPhone fold is mini-sized for the cover screen.
If that ends up being true it'll be too small for me, tbh. I can see how the inner screen would benefit by not having to deal with huge black bars when viewing media. But for browsing and pretty much anything else it'll be too small.
I have seen many reviews of current gen foldables (including a few fold 7s) citing screen creases, stress-failure (cracks or pixel failure) on day one or within a couple of months, and scratches from dust.. not to mention everyone I've asked insisted on screen protectors for the abrasion issues. Another issue a friend mentioned to me recently was the screen burn in issue still being a thing too.. Even if Apple are happy with whatever they have to work with now, I still think the nature of that display technology means it will likely fail more often and/or earlier than static-surface displays.. I think if you are dumping that kind of money on a device and you want it to last as long as a Pro Max, for example, you're going to be disappointed for the forceable future.
We'll see. First time Fold buyer and have Best Buy Total coverage, so hopefully I'll be fine if something happens to the inner screen. I decided to jump in and enjoy rather than worry about what could happen.
They're not, and you (like many others here) will change your opinion when Apple tells you to.
I didn't care about foldables until this year. The Chinese brands brought the heat and the Fold 7 is a marvel in tech. Can't wait to see what Apple launches, regardless of whether I buy it, and how the tech evolves.
I would not want a foldable phone so I could have twice the real estate, I would want one so it would take up half the pocket space.
I thought the same, tried the Flip 7 and it was great aside from one huge issue. For some reason Samsung decided to not allow notification icons on the cover screen lock screen. Even using Goodlock it wouldn't work. An orange dot pops up and you need to swipe on the cover screen to see them. Totally defeats the purpose of having a cover screen, imo, when you need to either swipe or fully open the phone. Much happier with the Fold which is finally wide enough to use as a phone without even unfolding it.
 
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I've seen foldable phones and they just seemed like a gimmick. Last night I had dinner with a friend who had the new Galaxy Z Fold 7.

I own every product in the Apple store and this was the first thing I've seen that made me want to ditch my iPhone. I couldn't believe how amazing it was. Folded it was thinner than my iPhone 16 Pro Max. Videos on the open screen were breathtaking, and there was no hint of a seam down the middle. And this this is so thin when opened you just can't believe it.

I haven't been to MacRumors in awhile, so I went and looked and they peg an Apple foldable phone for fall of NEXT YEAR.

What in the world is going on at Apple? They have all the cash in the world, all the top people, and they just can't do this stuff?

Honestly, this phone made my iPhone look like a Gen 1 product. If you haven't held one, you will first be amazed at the phone itself, but as that wears off you will just get madder and madder thinking about how Apple missed this. It's like the company has been asleep for five plus years.

The durability is still an issue. I hope in next 1-2 generations, we will have a fully IP69 dust and water resistance and display glass that does not get scratched with our fingernails.
 
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The fold 7 looks amazing and I know I want to try a a foldable. However, I also know that it’s not enough to make me leave the Apple ecosystem. Tried it before and well it didn’t go well. So I will just have to wait until Apple releases a foldable to give it a try.
 
I have Macs, iPads, iPhones, Apple Watches and Apple TVs used by me, my wife and 3 kids. Would be a very hard switch!
Yeah I’m too heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem to even contemplate switching. It’s not only the devices but the services too. I don’t have the time, the energy or the desire to start porting all my photos over and changing my entire workflow just to try out a new phone.
 
People keep saying Apple doesnt release imperfect product yet forget about the 'You are holding it wrong' meme.

If we look back Apple has always been in a stronger position when it waits to see what the market does, then reacts.

Microsoft were first out of the door as the innovators of flat design. Windows Phone 7 was gorgeous, but Apple took it to another level. They weren’t first to market with MP3 players, smartphones, tablets or smart watches but they came to define the market when they did.

Compare this to the OS26 debacle. Maybe a few companies have experimented with a little transparency here and there (Vista, W11) but nobody has attempted it across an entire OS before. Apple are first to market here and the results are…. Well they’re crap. There is a reason we don’t print rail signage on the windows.
 
It's got zero to do with showing off to others. It's about being able to read PDFs without zooming in, have plenty of room for two full phone-size apps to be open side-by-side, and have it all be the size that when closed the outside screen is an amazing phone all by itself and still thinner than a flagship iPhone.
The iPad in my backpack can do that. That plus my phone is probably more capable than a single folding phone imo…
 
Compare this to the OS26 debacle. Maybe a few companies have experimented with a little transparency here and there (Vista, W11) but nobody has attempted it across an entire OS before. Apple are first to market here and the results are…. Well they’re crap. There is a reason we don’t print rail signage on the windows.

I think the opposite, at least how it is in the public beta 1 is great to use and they could even go more transparent. Didn’t try the first developer betas but I see this as a testament to what happens when you actually dare to try things that isn’t the standard (like Apple used to).
 
The iPad in my backpack can do that. That plus my phone is probably more capable than a single folding phone imo…

Yeah, having to bring a backpack with you wherever you go sure sounds very convenient. The whole point is that if you are bringing a phone with you anyway it isn’t less convenient if that phone can fold out to be the size of an iPad Mini.
 
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I've seen foldable phones and they just seemed like a gimmick. Last night I had dinner with a friend who had the new Galaxy Z Fold 7.

I own every product in the Apple store and this was the first thing I've seen that made me want to ditch my iPhone. I couldn't believe how amazing it was. Folded it was thinner than my iPhone 16 Pro Max. Videos on the open screen were breathtaking, and there was no hint of a seam down the middle. And this this is so thin when opened you just can't believe it.

I haven't been to MacRumors in awhile, so I went and looked and they peg an Apple foldable phone for fall of NEXT YEAR.

What in the world is going on at Apple? They have all the cash in the world, all the top people, and they just can't do this stuff?

Honestly, this phone made my iPhone look like a Gen 1 product. If you haven't held one, you will first be amazed at the phone itself, but as that wears off you will just get madder and madder thinking about how Apple missed this. It's like the company has been asleep for five plus years.

No, they just do things when they think they are ready. I have no doubt if and when Apple comes out with a foldable phone, it will be the best foldable phone for me. I really like Galaxy Fold, it’s great - but if I even switch to a foldable, I’ll wait for Apple to do their version. Until then, the solution for me is iPhone + iPad mini (and yes, iPhone Pro and iPad mini combined cost LESS than a single Fold).
 
People keep saying Apple doesnt release imperfect product yet forget about the 'You are holding it wrong' meme.

iPhone 4 was nearly perfect for the time, and by far the best phone on the market. The “you’re holding it wrong” thing was not only blown waaaaay out of proportion, it was also one of the first major ragebait topics in the world of tech.
 
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Yeah I’m too heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem to even contemplate switching. It’s not only the devices but the services too. I don’t have the time, the energy or the desire to start porting all my photos over and changing my entire workflow just to try out a new phone.
That sums up exactly how I feel. There would have to be a massively compelling reason to change everything over to a new platform - and a foldable phone isn't it.
 
Yeah, having to bring a backpack with you wherever you go sure sounds very convenient. The whole point is that if you are bringing a phone with you anyway it isn’t less convenient if that phone can fold out to be the size of an iPad Mini.

It is a valid use case, and there are benefits to it, but it’s still a small group of people that would be willing to pay so much money (Fold is 2k) just for these situations where you only have your pockets and your phone. In all other situations - a regular iPhone and an iPad is actually much more capable (better camera and battery life on the phone side, bigger screen and more optimized OS on the tablet side) - and actually costs less money.

So, while I am personally interested in a foldable iPhone, I do understand that it is still meant for a niche audience.
 
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iPhone 4 was nearly perfect for the time, and by far the best phone on the market. The “you’re holding it wrong” thing was not only blown waaaaay out of proportion, it was also one of the first major ragebait topics in the world of tech.
Which is exactly the case with the Z Fold 7 as well. The crease and durability concerns are overblown.
 
If we look back Apple has always been in a stronger position when it waits to see what the market does, then reacts.

Microsoft were first out of the door as the innovators of flat design. Windows Phone 7 was gorgeous, but Apple took it to another level. They weren’t first to market with MP3 players, smartphones, tablets or smart watches but they came to define the market when they did.

Compare this to the OS26 debacle. Maybe a few companies have experimented with a little transparency here and there (Vista, W11) but nobody has attempted it across an entire OS before. Apple are first to market here and the results are…. Well they’re crap. There is a reason we don’t print rail signage on the windows.
Is that even the case nowadays? The Vision Pro launched significantly longer after VR headsets were already out on the market and haven't set the market on fire.

The thing is during the Jobs era, competition was less and innovation was also lesser so what Apple did used to work. Nowadays not so much.

What actually pushed Samsung to make the Z Fold 7 the way it did were the Chinese foldables. They are using significantly better camera and silicon carbide batteries while Apple and Samsung are still stuck on traditional tech.

Samsung and Apple can afford to do it because these Chinese products are banned from the US markets.
 
It is a valid use case, and there are benefits to it, but it’s still a small group of people that would be willing to pay so much money (Fold is 2k) just for these situations where you only have your pockets and your phone. In all other situations - a regular iPhone and an iPad is actually much more capable (better camera and battery life on the phone side, bigger screen and more optimized OS on the tablet side) - and actually costs less money.

So, while I am personally interested in a foldable iPhone, I do understand that it is still meant for a niche audience.

Yeah it isn’t the majority but there’s loads of people that don’t have to care about how much their phone costs. Either from just having enough income or because the phone is a work tool.

Very few would think Folds for 2k will become the top seller when looking at number of units anytime soon but it for sure can become a very profitable product anyway. I suspect a lot of people will buy them and that they will become a significant part of Apples iPhone revenue.
 
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It would be hard to leave the Apple ecosystem, but those phones are enticing - and available now.
I switched to the Galaxy note many years ago because I wanted the bigger phone with a stylist. But, after a year, I came crawling back to Apple with my tail between my legs saying; “sorry Apple. I was wrong. I’ll never do that again. My bad.
 
I switched to the Galaxy note many years ago because I wanted the bigger phone with a stylist. But, after a year, I came crawling back to Apple with my tail between my legs saying; “sorry Apple. I was wrong. I’ll never do that again. My bad.
LOL, was it really that bad?
 
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