iPhone Duo Why the iPhone Fold will Fail [MERGED] [MEGA THREAD]

[janeauburn]

Credit card companies are going to love this. Consumers who can't pay their bills as it is? They'll learn the hard way.

 

[MayaUser]

for those who are used to have ipad mini+iphone...this is the perfect 2in1 for them

 

[rugas]

Yes, I know people will jump on this and flame me. But this is a prediction and we will see if I am right or wrong over time.

I predicted the AVP would fail because it was obvious: it was worse at many things compared to other device types like smartphones and laptops and desktops. That it didn’t have much of a reason to exist.

Same too for the Fold. It is worse at several things compared to non-folding smartphones, laptops, desktops… and doesn’t have much of a reason to exist.

• Unfolded or folded, the Fold has seams since effectively 2 slabs are sandwiched onto each other and with a hinge. It will always therefore be design compromised compared to a non-folding smartphone.
• Because of the folding capability, and this is a big deal, it has to have a PLASTIC SCREEN. Plastic is noticeably inferior to glass from an optics standpoint, including reflections, and it will have a crease. And over time, we can see that the crease gets more pronounced with other Foldables. So on this, it will have a worse screen than non-folding products like an iPhone or MacBook or iPad.
• Fragility and processing power: it will be more fragile because they have to make each slab as thin as possible and there is a hinge, which is subject to breaking and failure. And the thermals suffer which can compromise performance.
• Very few use cases: the Fold turns into a tablet… but people buy and use non-folding smartphones precisely because of its form-factor: pocketable, one handed use, simple interfaces in software, etc. They aren’t asking for something to turn into a tablet, it doesn’t fit the use cases. And the stats support people not wanting Folds: Foldable smartphones after several years on the market still only have less than 5% of the total smartphone marketshare.

You don’t and won’t see people standing in line at a grocery store with one basket of food in one hand and an unfolded smartphone in the other hand. One handed device use is one of the main use cases of non-folding smartphones.

And for people who also like and want a tablet, it comes down to the problem of the fold being inferior across a set of things to a non-folding iPad.

I don’t see, therefore, how an iPhone Fold can be successful for Apple. Will some people buy it? Yes. How is failure defined? For Apple, it would be not leading in marketshare in the category and not capturing enough customers to make it a viable category to continue developing. Apple needs relatively large markets and scale, and that is not going to happen with the Fold is my prediction.

Go ahead and attack me, and for anyone wanting this device on day 1, that’s great. I don’t think foldables will not exist, but a device that doesn’t have much of a reason to exist is nothing more than a niche market device at best.

Because they didn't call it an iBook

They already have the name. That is exactly what it is. Call it what it is.

 

[dmr727]

I love FaceID on my iPhone but the fingerprint sensor on Fold 8 is so good and I expect Duo to have a great one too

I'm sure the sensor will be great, but I've always had terrible fingerprints. It's been a problem even for getting officially fingerprinted for various jobs, etc. I should have gone into a life of crime! 😉

 

[3Rock]

You didn't read the thread, right? $2k is base price for an amount of RAM no one will want. Add the RAM you need, and you're at $3K+

No one will want, regarding the ram amount, is not accurate. Many people will want it. You just want an argument, don’t you?

 

[3Rock]

Credit card companies are going to love this. Consumers who can't pay their bills as it is? They'll learn the hard way.

Apple credit is 0% for 24 months

 

[dmr727]

Threads like this always pop up with a new product launch. Yawn.

 

[CalmEnvy]

I mean base price for me is $3000.... $600 more than the Fold 8 in Canada. Kinda surprised Samsung priced it $300 under the exchange rate.

 

[Pbwallstreet]

I am watching the Apple Presentation. The iPhone Duo will NOT fail. I love the versitality of this device, and it surprised me how much I like it. It is out of my budget for the time being, plus I bought a new iPhone 17e last spring, but I would love to have a Duo much more than I ever wanted an iPhone Pro. I am a fan of the iPad Mini, as I still use a Mini 5, so I already love that form factor. I may not be able to buy it right now, but there will be others who will want it and will buy it after it is released.

It will not fail, got it.

 

[4sallypat]

Apple credit is 0% for 24 months

Klarna leasing is even less $ because of the residual at the end.
More affordable to those that can't afford or don't have an Apple Card.

 

[winxmac]

It will not fail, got it.

Time to update the title.

 

[Bkdodger]

why? since faceID it would be so efortless on the iphone duo....it unlock no matter where your hands are or how you hold it
Its a draw back from intuitively stand point

I'm not saying I wouldn't want it on the foldable. I definitely would want it on the Duo, I just think that's something they will get down the line hopefully

 

[Bkdodger]

I'm sure the sensor will be great, but I've always had terrible fingerprints. It's been a problem even for getting officially fingerprinted for various jobs, etc. I should have gone into a life of crime! 😉

Haha I totally get it. I know so many people that have horrible fingerprints and would definitely be locked up LMAO

 

[deconstruct60]

Yes it is.

Apple is a little vague but at 1:07.

and press release

" ... the inner display on iPhone Duo features a multilayer lamination design that keeps it flat and provides durability. Custom adhesives allow these layers to glide relative to one another during folding, like pages in a book, so the panel doesn’t distort over time. ..."

Apple unveils iPhone Duo

Apple today introduced iPhone Duo, the first foldable iPhone.

www.apple.com

The very top layer is a "Apple designed scratch resistant layer". Under that is a custom polymer layer ( if want to label that 'plastic' then fine, but it not the outermost layer. ). And two layers of glass sandwiching the OLED ( orgainc LED ... organic polymer ... plastic... not a surprise. ). Yes, the glass is provisioning substantive structural support.

'Plastic' material for scratch resistant would be odd. Typically want to use something that is harder than the stuff doing the scratching. Suggestive of a ceramic. ( akin to 'cermaic shield' on other parts of the phone. )

The notion of only a simple average plastic slapped on top is required isn't true. But yes there is some 'plastic' in the mix.

 

[Pbwallstreet]

Apple is a little vague but at 1:07.

and press release

" ... the inner display on iPhone Duo features a multilayer lamination design that keeps it flat and provides durability. Custom adhesives allow these layers to glide relative to one another during folding, like pages in a book, so the panel doesn’t distort over time. ..."

Apple unveils iPhone Duo

Apple today introduced iPhone Duo, the first foldable iPhone.

www.apple.com

The very top layer is a "Apple designed scratch resistant layer". Under that is a custom polymer layer ( if want to label that 'plastic' then fine, but it not the outermost layer. ). And two layers of glass sandwiching the OLED ( orgainc LED ... organic polymer ... plastic... not a surprise. ). Yes, the glass is provisioning substantive structural support.

'Plastic' material for scratch resistant would be odd. Typically want to use something that is harder than the stuff doing the scratching. Suggestive of a ceramic. ( akin to 'cermaic shield' on other parts of the phone. )

The notion of only a simple average plastic slapped on top is required isn't true. But yes there is some 'plastic' in the mix.

It’s plastic. Samsung and LG own most of the technology. Samsung has the technology for matte screens. Not much new here, and if you believe the foldable screen will not distort over time I have a bridge to nowhere to sell you.

 

[Mr. Heckles]

People who start these types of posts are just trying to convince themselves they don’t want it.
The 2T is $3200 USD, base is $1999 USD. I can get away easily with a base one if I was buying one.
If you need 5-7 years to pay off $3000, you clearly don't know how to manage money.

 

[Pbwallstreet]

I admit that I can’t fit a lawnmower with wings in my pocket. But this iPhone Duo… I think I can, I will just need to find my old baggy 90s pants…

 

[Pbwallstreet]

So now that we see the iPhone Duo released… where I have seen something like this before? Hmmmm…

 

[Mr. Heckles]

Credit card companies are going to love this. Consumers who can't pay their bills as it is? They'll learn the hard way.

Says the person who needs 5-7 years to pay off $3000....

 

[DerScheff]

100 Mio annual pay for Tim and John - the DUO buyers are paying that 😉

 

[Ctrlos]

With all of these posts like this, nobody explains WHY people want it.

It is portability. If it wasn’t, then people would pack their desktops in a briefcase. Communications is a feature common to all modern computing devices. What separates smartphones from laptops, desktops and tablets is portability.

But they lack a laptop in their bag. Because the onus on that device is portability. There is no 'desktop' smartphone.

 

[dblissmn]

Lord knows I'm skeptical of this kind of gadgetry. But I think they might be on to something with this -- especially if it has external display support. You've got an extremely configurable device with enough RAM and storage that it could potentially replace a laptop, tablet and a phone, all in one, with nothing more than an Apple Pencil, a cheap monitor and a keyboard'n'mouse. And a surprisingly competent and versatile camera too if the lack of telephoto isn't an issue.

 

[Pbwallstreet]

But they lack a laptop in their bag. Because the onus on that device is portability. There is no 'desktop' smartphone.

Do you want to start a company together and design and make convertible laptops?

 

[Pbwallstreet]

Lord knows I'm skeptical of this kind of gadgetry. But I think they might be on to something with this -- especially if it has external display support. You've got an extremely configurable device with enough RAM and storage that it could potentially replace a laptop, tablet and a phone, all in one, with nothing more than an Apple Pencil, a cheap monitor and a keyboard'n'mouse. And a surprisingly competent and versatile camera too if the lack of telephoto isn't an issue.

I agree with the concept. But in reality it will comparatively suck at replacing those devices. That is why dedicated desktops, laptops and tablets have continued to exist and dominate, even killing integrated devices like convertible laptops. They are the best at what they do, which is why they still exist.

 

[deconstruct60]

• Fragility and processing power: it will be more fragile because they have to make each slab as thin as possible and there is a hinge, which is subject to breaking and failure. And the thermals suffer which can compromise performance.

apple took the RAM off on on top of the thermal system. Made a flatter, bigger 2d footprint. Brand new , mutiple layer thermal system with better access to the heat source. Probably not going to 'fail'.

titanium is oh so fragile... just build aircraft out of it. Apple brought their somewhat usual over-engineered to the hinge also. (apple backing off of their hyper focus on symmettry helps here. The hindge side is 'beefed up'. ) Some folks will damage it , but folks regularly damage slab phones also.

Apple has 'experimented' with Titanium iPhones before. This isn't their first round.