iPhone 17 Pro Max You guys aren’t seriously considering buying a “Folding” iPhone Are you ?

[Ludatyk]

There's so many unknowns right now. One specific thing I'm missing in the mockups that are appearing ... will it have a front screen like the Galaxy Fold when the phone is closed? Or does the phone have to be opened to use?

The mockups has two displays (outer and inner screen) for folks to use… it would be similar to other book-style foldables in the market.

Thickness is an issue. Portability is. Unlocking is. If it's with fingerprint instead of Face ID then I'm out. I hate the fingerprint setup on my iPad mini. Never realised the mini didn't have Face ID, so that's on me. OS is an unknown. Will it run iPadOS when opened? Or iOS?

I don’t think thickness is an issue nor portability… but unlocking aspect might be something users have to consider folks will have to give up on FaceID. And that likely will be the dealbreaker for most given we been so accustomed to having it, but I use fingerprint on my Galaxy Fold with no issues.

Supposedly, it will run iOS tailored for the inner screen according to Mark Gurman… Apple will bring some iPadOS features over not all. Basically, we won’t have iPadOS apps… devs will need to optimize their apps for this iPhone Ultra (Fold).

I'm tempted to upgrade my iPhone 14 Pro and to be rid of devices with a Lightning port. If this folding iPhone misses important features (or is just too damn expensive) then I'd more more interested in an iPhone Air 2.

Well, Macrumors already gave a detailed list of potential features the folding iPhone will not have….

These 5 Pro Features Could Be Missing From Apple's Foldable iPhone

Apple's first foldable iPhone could be missing at least five mainstay features of the iPhone 18 Pro and the company's previous Pro models, despite its $2,000 price point. Images of dummy models recently shared by Sonny Dickson and Vadim Yuryev seem to reveal two missing features of the foldable...

www.macrumors.com

But I think the price is going to be main cause of concern for everyone.

 

[ignatius345]

I’d just have to see and handle them for a while before I got sucked in. I would definitely not buy the first-gen folding iPhone at all. I’d wait until the price came down (maybe) and the kinks got worked out (certainly) before I took the plunge -- IF at all.

 

[Dirk Pieters]

The mockups has two displays (outer and inner screen) for folks to use… it would be similar to other book-style foldables in the market.

That's a good start.

I don’t think thickness is an issue nor portability… but unlocking aspect might be something users have to consider folks will have to give up on FaceID. And that likely will be the dealbreaker for most given we been so accustomed to having it, but I use fingerprint on my Galaxy Fold with no issues.

I was thinking more on a personal level. How thick will it be? How good will it fit in trouser pockets etc. Pro (not Max) models are as large as I want to go. Apparently the Air is a big larger but it is a lot thinner.

Supposedly, it will run iOS tailored for the inner screen according to Mark Gurman… Apple will bring some iPadOS features over not all. Basically, we won’t have iPadOS apps… devs will need to optimize their apps for this iPhone Ultra (Fold).


Well, Macrumors already gave a detailed list of potential features the folding iPhone will not have….

These 5 Pro Features Could Be Missing From Apple's Foldable iPhone

Apple's first foldable iPhone could be missing at least five mainstay features of the iPhone 18 Pro and the company's previous Pro models, despite its $2,000 price point. Images of dummy models recently shared by Sonny Dickson and Vadim Yuryev seem to reveal two missing features of the foldable...

www.macrumors.com

But I think the price is going to be main cause of concern for everyone.

I think so too. I'm not a heavy user and at some point the amount spent doesn't make sense anymore.

 

[Dirk Pieters]

I’d just have to see and handle them for a while before I got sucked in. I would definitely not buy the first-gen folding iPhone at all. I’d wait until the price came down (maybe) and the kinks got worked out (certainly) before I took the plunge -- IF at all.

On the other hand: this might be one of those purchases that counts as investment. As in: buy one, leave it boxed, put it away and tell your children to sell it in 25 years.

All you need is a single buyer who wants it and is willing to pay for it. 😉

 

[BeatCrazy]

Sure, why not.

I really like my 8X optical zoom, so if it omits that, I may have to reconsider.r

 

[ignatius345]

On the other hand: this might be one of those purchases that counts as investment. As in: buy one, leave it boxed, put it away and tell your children to sell it in 25 years.

All you need is a single buyer who wants it and is willing to pay for it. 😉

Counterpoint: the first gen iPhone sold for $500. If you’d bought 100 shares of AAPL with that money (it was ~$5/share at that time), you’d have about $30K today, plus the quarterly dividends that you could’ve just reinvested. I know that was a historic run-up in Apple’s share price, but I’d be willing to bet you could invest $1500-2000 much more effectively over the course of 25 years.

edit: Out of curiosity/procrastinating other work, I just did the above calculation for the NASDAQ average. $500 invested in an index fund tracking that since 2007 you’d have about $5,600. That might be a more realistic comparison. Also (again, I’m procrastinating here 🙂 ) I found that a 2023 sale of an NIB original iPhone fetched $190K. So that actually beats even the return on AAPL over that time period. I still don’t think a first-gen foldable iPhone is going to appreciate the same way, though, IMO.

 

[Macdctr]

The Ultra will be the very first "folding" iPhone in Apple's history so I will be buying the max storage configuration, and crying of the price tag (😂), of this folding iPhone and will keep this device sealed in it's Apple packaging and add this to my private iPhone collection.

I personally have no need for a folding iPhone as I am happy using my Air, 15 Pro and 13 mini for my use for iPhone devices. I recognize the importance of this brand new form factor and this is the only reason why I am buying this very expensive configuration of this model. I'm not the typical iPhone user and am in the financial position where I can buy this device.

EDIT: eventually I will purchase a pre-owned Ultra from Amazon renewed premium so I can actually have a device to display in front of the sealed packaging for my private iPhone collection because I'm OCD enough to make this happen.

 

[ab2c4]

I have an iPad Pro that is a pleasure to read on. My 17 Pro Max has amazing battery life but it is a pain to carry everywhere (I regularly walk 6-10 miles) - wish I had kept my Air.

Nope, not planning on getting the foldable iPhone.

Going to try to keep this for 4 years+.

My wife has a 17PM and it really is a fantastic device, but I could not see myself trying to carry that thing around all day. I am on the go a lot and value smaller size and as low weight as possible, and its just too big for my size hands. Don't get me wrong the screen is phenomenal, the battery life is insane, and the speakers are amazing on the 17PM, but even so, my Air is a much better phone for me to carry around all day.

 

[eyoungren]

On the other hand: this might be one of those purchases that counts as investment. As in: buy one, leave it boxed, put it away and tell your children to sell it in 25 years.

All you need is a single buyer who wants it and is willing to pay for it. 😉

Schrödinger's iPhone.

In 25 years will it work? You won't know unless you take it out of the box. And once you take it out of the box, the original value in having it NIB is gone.

Or you could keep the NIB value by never taking it out of the box - but you'll never know if the iPhone worked or not. And if potentially not working, would that alter the NIB value?

 

[Happy_John]

FOMO always seems to assume that everything you are missing out on is good.

I don't tend to have FOMO because I've missed out on a lot of bad, simply because I wasn't there for it.

Getting sucked into a FOMO mentality simply means you will never, ever be satisfied with your life, because there will always be something newer and shinier after you manage to get the current "new and shiny" thing.

 

[Kriss_De_Valnor]

Some people will buy it only for this "Look at me" attitude.

 

[eyoungren]

Getting sucked into a FOMO mentality simply means you will never, ever be satisfied with your life, because there will always be something newer and shinier after you manage to get the current "new and shiny" thing.

Totally agree.

Fortunately (or unfortunately), being voluntold or forced engagement by my dad in the 1970s led to skepticism instead of FOMO. I'll wait until someone else has tripped all the traps and/or real world use has revealed all the problems.

Something to be said for letting others get nailed first. You learn from other people's FOMO.

And if it does seem to be alright (and you do want it), then you can join at your leisure. There's no FOMO god waiting to smash you over the head with a "you missed out hammer".

 

[chrono1081]

I am not (I'd prefer a smaller phone because I want to spend less time on devices) but friends of mine are interested. For many people their phone is their primary computing device and they just want a screen that is a little bigger without having another device like an iPad.

 

[Quackington]

If I can have an iPad mini in my hand and a 13 mini in my pocket, count me in.

That is if they don't eff. up the landscape keyboard.

Maybe the iPhone Fold is the new iPhone Mini ;-)

 

[macbookj0e]

95% no but something amazing/unknown might happen that changes my mind.

 

[jbachandouris]

Pro Max already too much. An extra $1k. Nope. Never.

 

[seek3r]

I’m planning on it, eventually, though may not buy the first one (always the rule of thumb w Apple anyway, y’know? “Always wait for rev 2”).

I’m super excited about this happening finally

I like the idea of having an iPad mini and phone in one.

I’m not sure I’m a fan of the compromises rumored for the first gen though, I think I’d find it harder to give up FaceID than I would have expected if you’d asked me a few years ago, I’m fairly certain the 2nd gen will likely have a better camera, I want magsafe.

Also my 16 pro is still solid, I’m not sure I’m ready to replace it this year no matter for what

Also, outside anything else, I really want to try out the rumored form factor in person at a store before I think about the other compromises - I’m worried it’ll be too wide for my hands when folded, I have relatively short fingers.

But in general I’m super excited and I think I’m likely to have a folding iPhone as my next phone

 

[seek3r]

On the other hand: this might be one of those purchases that counts as investment. As in: buy one, leave it boxed, put it away and tell your children to sell it in 25 years.

All you need is a single buyer who wants it and is willing to pay for it. 😉

I have my doubts, this is a mass market release of a phone that absolutely certainly has a rev 2 in the pipeline already since Apple plans phones several years out. It’s a new evolution but in the same product category Apple’s already huge in, this isnt the first gen iPhone.

And it isnt super unique enough a form factor or anything to be an oddball in the market

It’s also not like it’ll be rare. Apple’s marketshare is a lot bigger than it was in general, and they are one of the dominant players in this part of the market (cell phones) unlike when the iPhone came out originally - even if it sells poorly I’d bet there’ll be vastly more sold than the OG iphone.

Also old Apple gear, even relatively rare things, are fickle in price. Like sure, an unopened OG iPhone sells for a bunch, but as rare as, say, my G4 Cube is relatively speaking it’s still only worth $300-$400 or so. And some of the most expensive machines you see are Quadra 700s, not because they were particularly rare or special but because they were used in Jurassic Park (want a hard machine to find btw? G5 Xserves are weirdly rare)

Anyway, my point is, I doubt this is going to be a collectors item worth a huge amount. People will collect them, sure, plenty of folks collect every gen or or at least every form factor of iphone, but the prices arent typically massive for iphones, or outpace original purchase price + inflation much if at all

 

[acblue94]

Anyone here deliberately going to buy a Folding iPhone please share with us Why ? And $1,000 Extra on top of regular iPhone Pro Max prices allegedly.

Now I don’t have to bring my iPad to travel with and watch movies on the plane. Pretty simple.

Also in my work when I can go to a clients home I can open a design on my phone fold and they can see it better.

Many other reasons for others. But it seems like you need to justify not getting one by trying to push the idea of it not being needed. Make you self feel better?

 

[sw1tcher]

You guys aren’t seriously considering buying a “Folding” iPhone Are you ?

You aren't seriously concerned about what other people do with their money, are you?

 

[Tevosn]

Is it Is 1000$ or less maybe, but not likely.

 

[Chris443]

Anyone here deliberately going to buy a Folding iPhone please share with us Why ? And $1,000 Extra on top of regular iPhone Pro Max prices allegedly.

I have the Samsung Fold S7 (free with my contract) and moved my iPhone PM 16 over to it. A month later, back to the 16PM. It just wasnt a platform I enjoyed using (form factor speaking). I plan to go 18PM. However, my other half is dead set on the foldable, so likely buying for her.

 

[jabbawok]

Getting Touch ID back might swing it for me. I hate FaceID

 

[uacd]

From now on I am not considering to buying any new iPhones at all, especially folding ones. I stupidly bought 17 Pro and honestly I now want to get rid of it, such a poor phone that doesn’t hold up to the name “smartphone”. Because it is dumb and useless, and what does that Pro even mean? Procrastination?

 

[Abydos]

sorry, can't see a reason (no one left to impress so that's out , no functional gain I can see so that's out)