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What Would You Like to See in a Foldable iPhone?
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Agreed. This is a feature looking for a purpose. Other than more-easily fitting in your pocket it serves little purpose. It also offers a lot of chances for grit/dirt to scratch the screens. It would seem the only beneficial trend to trying to make these is it brings all-plastic, more-durable screens than phones have typically had, which would be a good thing. Making a phone so durable you could drop it and have it fall, bouncing down a flight of stairs, would seem a lot more useful than foldable phones/tablets.
I had a Z Fold 3 that I traded for an iPhone 13 Pro and as someone who has lived with a folding phone there are a lot of pros. But, the overriding negative is durability and potential for dust ingression. The issue for Apple, I would assume, is whether enough people would actually buy one to make the production cost worth the effort, and unless they could address the things that Samsung misses on, I find it doubtful. It is hard to justify an 1800 dollar phone for anything outside of edge case users, but if a phone is that expensive, the drawback to the Samsung offering have to be addressed. I personally would think that Apple would be more likely to make a foldable phone more like the Z Flip than the Z Fold if they make one at all.
From a design perspective, the only things I would have changed about the Z Fold 3 were:
1) Make the narrow display on the front be the full width of the device. For regular phone use I liked the narrowness of the outer display, but it would have been better had it been an edge to edge display.
2) Make the camera equal other flagships. If a phone costs 1800 dollars there is no good reason that it does not have a camera equal to the best that Samsung makes.
3) More software optimizations for full large screen apps (Apple would have less issues here, however I wonder how naturally an iPhone and iPad app could work together on the different screens, or if iOS apps would have to be modified directly. It would seem that ideally apps would be iPhone apps on the outer display and iPad apps on the inner.
In the end, for me, the Pros of the Z Fold 3 were simply not worth the trade off of durability. However, the Z Fold is a nice device.
From a design perspective, the only things I would have changed about the Z Fold 3 were:
1) Make the narrow display on the front be the full width of the device. For regular phone use I liked the narrowness of the outer display, but it would have been better had it been an edge to edge display.
2) Make the camera equal other flagships. If a phone costs 1800 dollars there is no good reason that it does not have a camera equal to the best that Samsung makes.
3) More software optimizations for full large screen apps (Apple would have less issues here, however I wonder how naturally an iPhone and iPad app could work together on the different screens, or if iOS apps would have to be modified directly. It would seem that ideally apps would be iPhone apps on the outer display and iPad apps on the inner.
In the end, for me, the Pros of the Z Fold 3 were simply not worth the trade off of durability. However, the Z Fold is a nice device.
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Sigh. The purpose of this post was to ask those of us who want to see Apple make a foldable phone what features we are looking for. And yet again we get endless posts about not wanting it at all and how it’s just a rotten flimsy gimmick, plus exaggerations about the Samsung devices that do exist. We’ve heard that endlessly already every time foldable phones are discussed. 😔
I’m not a very good tech writer but I’ll give it my best shot at answering the question that was asked of us and hope it can be helpful and productive if Apple does happen to be peeking in.
My husband has been using the Z Fold 3 daily since he set it up on Christmas Day. Yes, unpleasant possibilities about durability issues exist. Keeping fingers crossed, he hasn’t come across that yet despite carrying it around in pockets and using it all the time for productivity and fun. So he’s been smitten with this device since he got it. Maybe he’s a rare exception. But it is an expensive device and not many people get to be early adopters and guinea pigs for it. So for that reason he’s rare, period. When/if more refined devices like these go into wider use, I think there would be more people who will see and appreciate the advantages of them.
The devices are currently more prone to breakage and Samsung knows this. I think that’s why Samsung recently announced a partnership with Best Buy for service and repairs, to help boost customer confidence in its service infrastructure in the US market.
Apple already has a strong infrastructure for service and repairs in most of its established markets, so that’s one thing I won’t have to put on the wish list.
What my husband wants to see in future iterations is the same camera setup offered in the Ultra versions of the S Series. Battery life has been adequate for him but he’d like improvement on that. So for an Apple version I think we can safely say best available camera features and battery life that can reasonably compare favorably to candy bar phones are also on the wish list.
This Z Fold device just about does it all. It works with the S Pen. Samsung has done wonders optimizing Android to work with the Fold and can continue to improve on that.
It’s not iOS and for that reason can do things iOS users probably can’t even envision. I can’t, because I haven’t tried to use it. So I also can’t tell you what exactly he sees in it for his workflow, but he’s using it all the time. His iPad mini barely sees any use and his other iPads get used less.
It’s still bulky in folded form for most people. My husband is a tall man so he doesn’t mind carrying a bulky phone that unfolds into a tablet. He doesn’t necessarily care if Samsung can slim it down, but I am not interested in it at it’s current folded thickness. So for MY wishlist with Apple I would like to see them work some of their design magic on the chassis.
Given what he likes about the Z Fold, his wants for an Apple version would be for Apple to truly lean into an operating system custom designed for the form factor. For optimizations designed around a folded display and multiple displays on one device the way Samsung does it. For an operating system that embraces the Apple Pencil and for there to be an Apple Pencil that’s designed specifically for the device. Either to be stored into the device or easily stored in a case.
My interest is in the Z Flip. What I want to see in the Z Flip is dust resistance. Durability against grit. Water resistance is already there in Z Fold. That’s good. But to survive my purse and my pockets I need to be sure dust and grit won’t cause harm. I’m told by someone with actual ownership experience that it’s not been a problem for their spouse in daily use of a Z Flip.
I’ve seen the creases and for me, it’s not bad when in actual use. But I believe Apple will probably only jump in when the crease is barely there.
I don’t get a Z Fold or Flip because I’d have to trade in my S22 Ultra to get one at an affordable price. I don’t want to give up the incredibly powerful zoom on the S22 Ultra because none of my other phones offer anything that can compare. I’d also miss the S Pen.
So for Apple’s version of the Flip: I want it to not compromise on Pro level camera features so that I won’t feel a discomforting trade off choosing my preferred Flip form factor over the traditional iPhone Pro candy bar form.
Oh and I want it to not be too slippery. A foldable device necessarily requires a bit more handling to open it. I don’t want it to be like a slippery little soap bar. I want it in a durable shell that won’t need a case to survive in pockets or purses.
I’m not a very good tech writer but I’ll give it my best shot at answering the question that was asked of us and hope it can be helpful and productive if Apple does happen to be peeking in.
My husband has been using the Z Fold 3 daily since he set it up on Christmas Day. Yes, unpleasant possibilities about durability issues exist. Keeping fingers crossed, he hasn’t come across that yet despite carrying it around in pockets and using it all the time for productivity and fun. So he’s been smitten with this device since he got it. Maybe he’s a rare exception. But it is an expensive device and not many people get to be early adopters and guinea pigs for it. So for that reason he’s rare, period. When/if more refined devices like these go into wider use, I think there would be more people who will see and appreciate the advantages of them.
The devices are currently more prone to breakage and Samsung knows this. I think that’s why Samsung recently announced a partnership with Best Buy for service and repairs, to help boost customer confidence in its service infrastructure in the US market.
Apple already has a strong infrastructure for service and repairs in most of its established markets, so that’s one thing I won’t have to put on the wish list.
What my husband wants to see in future iterations is the same camera setup offered in the Ultra versions of the S Series. Battery life has been adequate for him but he’d like improvement on that. So for an Apple version I think we can safely say best available camera features and battery life that can reasonably compare favorably to candy bar phones are also on the wish list.
This Z Fold device just about does it all. It works with the S Pen. Samsung has done wonders optimizing Android to work with the Fold and can continue to improve on that.
It’s not iOS and for that reason can do things iOS users probably can’t even envision. I can’t, because I haven’t tried to use it. So I also can’t tell you what exactly he sees in it for his workflow, but he’s using it all the time. His iPad mini barely sees any use and his other iPads get used less.
It’s still bulky in folded form for most people. My husband is a tall man so he doesn’t mind carrying a bulky phone that unfolds into a tablet. He doesn’t necessarily care if Samsung can slim it down, but I am not interested in it at it’s current folded thickness. So for MY wishlist with Apple I would like to see them work some of their design magic on the chassis.
Given what he likes about the Z Fold, his wants for an Apple version would be for Apple to truly lean into an operating system custom designed for the form factor. For optimizations designed around a folded display and multiple displays on one device the way Samsung does it. For an operating system that embraces the Apple Pencil and for there to be an Apple Pencil that’s designed specifically for the device. Either to be stored into the device or easily stored in a case.
My interest is in the Z Flip. What I want to see in the Z Flip is dust resistance. Durability against grit. Water resistance is already there in Z Fold. That’s good. But to survive my purse and my pockets I need to be sure dust and grit won’t cause harm. I’m told by someone with actual ownership experience that it’s not been a problem for their spouse in daily use of a Z Flip.
I’ve seen the creases and for me, it’s not bad when in actual use. But I believe Apple will probably only jump in when the crease is barely there.
I don’t get a Z Fold or Flip because I’d have to trade in my S22 Ultra to get one at an affordable price. I don’t want to give up the incredibly powerful zoom on the S22 Ultra because none of my other phones offer anything that can compare. I’d also miss the S Pen.
So for Apple’s version of the Flip: I want it to not compromise on Pro level camera features so that I won’t feel a discomforting trade off choosing my preferred Flip form factor over the traditional iPhone Pro candy bar form.
Oh and I want it to not be too slippery. A foldable device necessarily requires a bit more handling to open it. I don’t want it to be like a slippery little soap bar. I want it in a durable shell that won’t need a case to survive in pockets or purses.
The aspect ratio would be non-standard (almost square) if it folds into the size of an iPhone,.
I don’t really see Apple improving on the existing tech, making it thinner and more reliable in terms of the soft display.
As they are now they are way too thick for my liking and there are no full body protection cases due to the hinge.
Plus I use my phone in a bike mount case and I don’t see how a folder would survive.
Not to mention the astronomical cost I’m sure.
As they are now they are way too thick for my liking and there are no full body protection cases due to the hinge.
Plus I use my phone in a bike mount case and I don’t see how a folder would survive.
Not to mention the astronomical cost I’m sure.
That's a good point, too many phones are WAY too slick that I need to put a case on them just to hold them. The Flip3 is in that category, as well as the iPhone 13 mini. I REALLY wish they would make the case textured just enough to get a good grip on them. I do have hand problems that make it harder for me to grip things, but this really seems strange that they are so smooth these days. I haven't had a phone I could grip well without a case since I carried dumb phones years and years ago.
Conceptually I think the feature is cool, but practically it doesn't do much for me as currently implemented.Apple should focus on improving other things such as USB-C. Product red iPhone Pro/Pro Max, bettering battery life, and so on.
I just don’t find foldable iPhones appealing. It’s too gimmicky
I have no doubt in my mind… if Apple introduce a foldable iPhone they will have no issues selling it. I look at the trend of people desiring bigger screens… look at the decision to discontinue the iPhone Mini and replacing it with a larger iPhone Max.
And people are sleeping on the announcement of ”Buy Now, Pay Later” from Apple and the logo is such a strong selling point.
And this is what it all comes down to. Our doubts come from the fact we have not seen a foldable iOS device… will Apple take the approach of iOS folded and iPadOS unfold. Will we get an Apple Pencil support? What about Stage Manager? External Display support?
Maybe Apple take a whole different approach when it comes to a foldable iOS device… I argue the biggest selling point doesn’t come from the hardware, it’s more so what you can do with it.
I would like to see Apple make a foldable iPhone with two screens, not a foldable display.
Near bezeless screens with a hinge that snaps so tight and secure that it just feels solid. I’d still complain about the seam, but if you’re going to be staring at something like a crease/seam, it’d be better to know it would hold up over time. Like all the years the average user keeps theirs for.
This way the could keep the water and dust resistance. Add usb-c on one side and maybe bring back audio jack on the other 😂
Near bezeless screens with a hinge that snaps so tight and secure that it just feels solid. I’d still complain about the seam, but if you’re going to be staring at something like a crease/seam, it’d be better to know it would hold up over time. Like all the years the average user keeps theirs for.
This way the could keep the water and dust resistance. Add usb-c on one side and maybe bring back audio jack on the other 😂
Great write up, the Fold's are far from perfect, but they accomplish a purpose for many consumers. Samsung also made the newly released Fold's MUCH cheaper to repair, on par with non foldable phone screen repairs, which should go a long way to reduce consumer anxiety.
Personally the durability doesn't concern me much, I used and abused a Fold 2 for over a year and it ended up without a single scratch or blemish on it, and Samsung gave me $1k for trading it in. There are durability tests which note hundreds of thousands of folds with no issues, I did the math once and I think it worked out to 50-100 folds/day for 10 years at worst.
But all the gripes are definitely warranted (except for the completely inane "solution in search of a problem, gimmick" idiocy). It really is a question of whether the shortcomings are worth having a larger screen which shrinks down to a more portable size and having the ability to consolidate a small tablet and a phone into a single device. After using mine for a year I upgraded to the Fold 3, but mainly use it as a small tablet, retaining an iphone 13 pro max as my daily driver.
I'm in the Samsung Flip foldables camp, but I certainly would consider a 2 screen solution like you suggest. The Microsoft Duo is kind of like that but I just don't like how big it is.
My phone should be usable just by looking at it.
The device should be usable within 0.001 seconds of taking it from my pocket.
If I am struggling to remove it from my pocket…
…and then have to unfold it…
…it’s no longer a smart phone.
…it becomes a yoga phone.
The device should be usable within 0.001 seconds of taking it from my pocket.
If I am struggling to remove it from my pocket…
…and then have to unfold it…
…it’s no longer a smart phone.
…it becomes a yoga phone.
It needs to be good at being small, be capable of being big, and be durable. A coworker has the Fold 3 and that thing is heavy and bulky - it fails at being small.
I wonder how many of you saying you don't want a fold-able phone would be buying if Apple came out with one. I don't want what Samsung is doing in the fold space, but I would be interested in what Apple does in it if they ever do anything at all.
I wonder how many of you saying you don't want a fold-able phone would be buying if Apple came out with one. I don't want what Samsung is doing in the fold space, but I would be interested in what Apple does in it if they ever do anything at all.
I just don't see how Apple is going to be able to deliver on this one without sacrificing the aesthetics and design language that makes Apple devices "feel" like Apple device. Hopefully they'll prove me wrong though (and come up with a meaningful use case for the device, while they're at it).
For me, an Apple foldable phone needs to:
- be thin, ideally not much thicker than the current iPhone Pro Max when closed, thinner when open
- be durable and reliable, can't have dust ingestion
- have a full size screen when closed
- not have a noticeable crease when open
- this assumes a fold but a scrollable screen could exhibit side effects, too
- have a solid surface that feels like an iPhone today when in tablet mode
- seamlessly act as both a phone and a tablet
- e.g. iOS behavior in clamshell mode & iPadOS behavior when open, single app download
- have apps seamlessly shift from open to closed and vice versa
- i.e. reformat content, similar to rotating from portrait to landscape mode
- work with Apple Pencil open and closed
- have decently long battery life
- work with Face ID both open and closed
- work with FaceTime both open and closed
- have access to full gamut of cameras at all times
A big old rhinestone encrusted NOPE from me. Too many compromises in terms of cost, size, performance and durability.
In fact, beyond the size of the screen, EVERYTHING is worse on a foldy screen phone.
In fact, beyond the size of the screen, EVERYTHING is worse on a foldy screen phone.
I don't really see the utility in a folding phone for how I use my devices, but if I eventually had to combine my phone and tablet into one, the biggest issue for me would be the area where a crease might be. Swiping over this area has to be smooth and crease-free for things like drawing apps to be truly viable.
I am coming up on it being high time to replace my iPhone 12 Pro Max that I've had for 1.5 years now and I am really not knowing what to get. I was hoping that Apple would have jumped into the foldable or rollable/slidable game by now (or at least existing rumours of a 2023 release) but they haven't. So now I have to decide if I should abandon watch, iPad, Mac and other Apple devices to go all in on a Galaxy Fold 4, Galaxy Watch 5 and some larger tablet/laptop or not.
Staying with Apple and getting the iPhone 14 Pro Max isn't really looking that exciting, more or less same phone as my current one which was more or less the same phone as the one before that.
Staying with Apple and getting the iPhone 14 Pro Max isn't really looking that exciting, more or less same phone as my current one which was more or less the same phone as the one before that.
Basically impossible. There’s no structure we can make from any known metal that can be so thin and durable. Thousands of people will break their phones in their pockets.
Xiaomi's version of the Fold is 5.4mm when open, that's getting closer to half the 13 pro max' thickness of 7.65mm (7.85mm rumored for the 14 pro max).
I would like to see it not occur. Unless and until they come up with a screen that will truly not wrinkle, then no thanks. And they are not there yet. Not even close.
Samsung last week announced its fourth-generation foldable phone, the Galaxy Fold 4, and as a result, some iPhone customers may be wondering about the future of a foldable iPhone.
Apple is indeed working on a foldable iPhone, but details about it remain scarce and somewhat vague. We've rounded up a few notable rumors below and want to hear from you; what would you like to see in a foldable iPhone? Let us know in the comments!
Hardware Features
- Building on an existing relationship, Apple is likely working closely with Corning to develop a special display glass for the foldable iPhone that's both tough and durable and thin and flexible.
- Rumors have fluctuated regarding the size of the foldable iPhone, with some reports saying it'll be around 9-inches and have a PPI (pixels-per-inch) between an iPhone and an iPad. Other reports say Apple has internally tested a device that opens up to 6.7-inches, similar to the size of current Pro Max iPhones.
- A research firm has suggested the foldable iPhone could support the Apple Pencil, utilizing its larger display to allow for easier note taking, drawing, sketching, and more on the device.
- Rather than typical foldable phones on the market, a rumor from Apple leaker Jon Prosser suggests that Apple is working on a foldable device with two separate screens connected via a hinge and not one single, continuous display.
Software and OS
- It remains to be seen whether Apple will, at some point, combine the iPhone and iPad into a single product, offering an iPhone when folded and an iPad-like experience when unfolded. In that case, we may see the foldable device running a hybrid between iOS and iPadOS, but that remains purely speculative.
Price and Launch Date
- Samsung's Galaxy Fold 4 starts at a steep $1,800, and while it's too early to tell what market Apple will want to target with its foldable device, Samsung's pricing does offer a little bit of context.
- According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, we're now unlikely to see a foldable iPhone until at least 2025 or later, so there are still many years to go until we may see anything hit the market.
For more in-depth information about what we know about a foldable iPhone, be sure to check out our comprehensive guide. Plus, don't forget to let us know what you want to see in a foldable iPhone below.
Article Link: What Would You Like to See in a Foldable iPhone?
