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nkgmd

macrumors member
Jul 16, 2004
59
208
What would anyone think of a device the size of an iPad Mini folded, iPad Air (ish) unfolded? Just asking...I actually really like my Mini for running most apps, but it's a bit too small for browser based tasks, so to go full iPad screen size for those tasks would be sweet. Maybe even add a laptop like UI, with keyboard on half, screen on other half, use semi folded...I think if Apple were to introduce a folding anything they might start with the iPad, since it's not going to be directly copying the other guys' phones, and I don't think there's anything like that out there yet. They could make the case that they are not trying to make a device be something it isn't, but it would be a new device category...

(slow day at work today...)
Boom!
 
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klky

macrumors 6502
Oct 30, 2015
406
751
While I have absolutely zero interest in a folding phone, I'm basing that sentiment on current offerings. They just don't look or feel elegant to use. Would I be interested in a folding phone if Apple made one? I would certainly be interested in seeing how they address the user experience and durability concerns but that's all I can say for now.

In the same way, while I find the Vision Pro rather fascinating, it's not something that excites me, at least not in its current iteration. Perhaps one day when the form factor more closely resembles a pair of sunglasses and presents a practical use case but that's easily 10+ years away.
 

SilvioInfante

Suspended
Jul 27, 2023
92
169
Couple of things I'm certain about:

1. Folding phones are pointless.
2. Most people are not interested in them.
3. Apple is most assuredly trying to find a way to create and market one, so that they can sell it for $2k+. Tim Cook's greed knows no bounds, and he no longer appears to be bound by Apple's historical "No" to bad ideas.
 

SilvioInfante

Suspended
Jul 27, 2023
92
169
While I have absolutely zero interest in a folding phone, I'm basing that sentiment on current offerings. They just don't look or feel elegant to use. Would I be interested in a folding phone if Apple made one? I would certainly be interested in seeing how they address the user experience and durability concerns but that's all I can say for now.

In the same way, while I find the Vision Pro rather fascinating, it's not something that excites me, at least not in its current iteration. Perhaps one day when the form factor more closely resembles a pair of sunglasses and presents a practical use case but that's easily 10+ years away.
You kind of answered your own question though, didn't you? What magic is Apple supposed to bring to this category that no one else has? These are the possibilities:
1. An iPhone that is compromised in every way so that it can fold in half and...fit even worse in your pocket. Great.
2. An iPhone that is compromised in every way so that it can unfold and....be slightly smaller than the worst iPad. Great.

The Vision Pro itself is the perfect rebuttable to this idea that Apple can magically bring something to the table that no one else can, and can reinvent categories when it wants to. The Vision Pro is among the most expensive and technically complex VR headsets on the market, all to put an iPad on your head. That was the extent of their vision for it.

I wouldn't count on any foldable miracles coming out of Apple. Not this Apple at least.
 

HawkTheHusky1902

macrumors 6502a
Jun 26, 2023
666
489
Berlin, Germany
You kind of answered your own question though, didn't you? What magic is Apple supposed to bring to this category that no one else has? These are the possibilities:
1. An iPhone that is compromised in every way so that it can fold in half and...fit even worse in your pocket. Great.
2. An iPhone that is compromised in every way so that it can unfold and....be slightly smaller than the worst iPad. Great.

The Vision Pro itself is the perfect rebuttable to this idea that Apple can magically bring something to the table that no one else can, and can reinvent categories when it wants to. The Vision Pro is among the most expensive and technically complex VR headsets on the market, all to put an iPad on your head. That was the extent of their vision for it.

I wouldn't count on any foldable miracles coming out of Apple. Not this Apple at least.
Yeah, the Apple is rotting🤣
 

off3nc3

macrumors regular
Jan 19, 2014
133
137
Romania
Seeing the latest Z fold 5 and comparing it to the same old form factor of the 15 pro + the price hike , it's a no brainer to get a fold if you are a productivity user , I see myself switching to it for a while.

iPhone 15 will be the same thing as 14 , maybe reduced bezels if possible but doubt , new CPU and USBC port , same form factor , same old design and etc.
 

The Game 161

macrumors Nehalem
Dec 15, 2010
30,401
19,638
UK
There should be room for phones, foldable and the new apple vision pro headsets and any future upgrades. I get why people aren’t totally convinced by foldables from Samsung and google etc but if you saw the Chinese foldable and the rumours one plus foldable i think more would be interested due to them looking like normal phones but also folds.
 
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Jackbequickly

macrumors 68030
Aug 6, 2022
2,520
2,581
I have looked at my friends folding phones and some really are showing some wear. Apple users are a bit more picky Apple does not want the warranty head aches it would cause for them.
 
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Jared G.K.

macrumors regular
Jul 23, 2023
123
160
I'm torn between my 13 mini and the 14 (non-Pro).
While the display of the mini starts getting a little too small sometimes for reading or viewing certain things at a glance, it is so unbelievably convenient to hold, perfectly sized for blue jeans pockets, light weighted etc.
Then the 14 is too heavy and bulky for my likes, and even more so when putting it in a case. Without a case, it feels slippery and makes me feel uncomfortable for potentially dropping or scratching it.

So I kinda like the idea of an iPhone flip (not overly interested in a fold).

I had the opportunity to hold a Samsung flip 5 in my hands yesterday and played with it for a while, and have to say, I liked it a lot and thought it was a very cool little gadget.....and I wished it was an iPhone.....
 

Lioness~

macrumors 68040
Apr 26, 2017
3,025
3,753
Sweden
I had the opportunity to hold a Samsung flip 5 in my hands yesterday and played with it for a while, and have to say, I liked it a lot and thought it was a very cool little gadget.....and I wished it was an iPhone.....
Samsung flip are really nice. It was my 1st phones - tiny great phones.
Apple will release a flip sooner or later…!

I will be on it on gen. 2 - I'll pass the first child deceases.
 

xxFoxtail

macrumors 6502a
Nov 8, 2015
503
726
NY
No thank you, if they do I'll still stick with the regular models. What I want is the "air display" that you see in sci-fi.
I’d be fine if they could make an Apple Watch my primary mobile device. In its current state, it’s possible to do some of the iPhone’s primary features - just not nearly as conveniently. I would have rather them made some kind of ‘super’ Apple Watch than a headset I can never see myself wearing out in public.

Definitely bonus points if they put that extra R&D money into holographic touch displays rendered from an Apple Watch. Would love to see that at some point in our lifetime.
 
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HawkTheHusky1902

macrumors 6502a
Jun 26, 2023
666
489
Berlin, Germany
I’d be fine if they could make an Apple Watch my primary mobile device. In its current state, it’s possible to do some of the iPhone’s primary features - just not nearly as conveniently. I would have rather them made some kind of ‘super’ Apple Watch than a headset I can never see myself wearing out in public.

Definitely bonus points if they put that extra R&D money into holographic touch displays rendered from an Apple Watch. Would love to see that at some point in our lifetime.
Im personally looking at the Asus Zenfone 10 as my phone. The only non-iphone phone that ive seen that ticks all the boxes for me that is in a small form factor. Seems great with a fast chip.
 

HawkTheHusky1902

macrumors 6502a
Jun 26, 2023
666
489
Berlin, Germany
While I have absolutely zero interest in a folding phone, I'm basing that sentiment on current offerings. They just don't look or feel elegant to use. Would I be interested in a folding phone if Apple made one? I would certainly be interested in seeing how they address the user experience and durability concerns but that's all I can say for now.

In the same way, while I find the Vision Pro rather fascinating, it's not something that excites me, at least not in its current iteration. Perhaps one day when the form factor more closely resembles a pair of sunglasses and presents a practical use case but that's easily 10+ years away.
And the Vision Pro doesnt exactly seem very fitting for Apple's new 'health' and 'screen-time management' ideas🤣
You are literally living life through a screen shoved up to your face
 
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1rottenapple

macrumors 601
Apr 21, 2004
4,707
2,723
I hope they can find a way to not use plastic screens and solve the folding crease that shows up.
 

xxFoxtail

macrumors 6502a
Nov 8, 2015
503
726
NY
Im personally looking at the Asus Zenfone 10 as my phone. The only non-iphone phone that ive seen that ticks all the boxes for me that is in a small form factor. Seems great with a fast chip.
With the Zenfone 10 existing, there’s not really any reason Apple couldn’t stuff a better display, battery and camera into a future iPhone mini.
 

hovscorpion12

macrumors 68030
Sep 12, 2011
2,696
2,676
USA
I hope they can find a way to not use plastic screens and solve the folding crease that shows up.

All foldables use an ultra-thin piece of glass that acts as the first layer. The difference is that companies like Samsung combined both UTG [Ultra-Thin Glass] and Plastic [which is why it has a creese]

Flexible displays currently require ultra-thin glass or plastic. If Samsung had used only UTG, the durability of the screen would have suffered, with cracking becoming even more likely. With only plastic, the display would have been too soft and shown a crease, as happened with the first-generation Galaxy Fold. Instead, Samsung combined these two methods for more stability, clarity, and longer life.

Glass breaks. It doesn't matter how thin it is, or how thick. Technology at this time, has not reached the point where glass can be thin and have the same durability as the front display.
 
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PixelsMaster

macrumors regular
Sep 11, 2016
145
410
Michigan
Folding phones are a gimmicky product category born out of some marketing think group. They‘re thicker, significantly more prone to mechanical failure beyond limited warranties, have poor displays (a crease eclipses any tech specs), and cost nearly twice as much as a similarly capable phones. The only tangible benefit they have is a larger/double screen.

Until they can fold truly flat, take up as much space as today’s generation of slab phones, and eliminate the crease, they’re primary purpose is to be the shiny new ‘thing.’
 

off3nc3

macrumors regular
Jan 19, 2014
133
137
Romania
Folding phones are a gimmicky product category born out of some marketing think group. They‘re thicker, significantly more prone to mechanical failure beyond limited warranties, have poor displays (a crease eclipses any tech specs), and cost nearly twice as much as a similarly capable phones. The only tangible benefit they have is a larger/double screen.

Until they can fold truly flat, take up as much space as today’s generation of slab phones, and eliminate the crease, they’re primary purpose is to be the shiny new ‘thing.’

Z fold 5 closes and opens perfectly flat already :) , just take your current iphone next to it and see how dated/expired the slab phone is.

Imagine spending anymore cash and prices hikes on slab phones when they add literally nothing but a cpu and a minor camera bump year in year out. Just crazy !
 
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Zmmyt

macrumors 68000
Jan 6, 2005
1,726
805
I wonder if any of the foldables make any sense in terms of profitably. As long as that’s not the case Apple won’t release one.
 

off3nc3

macrumors regular
Jan 19, 2014
133
137
Romania
I wonder if any of the foldables make any sense in terms of profitably. As long as that’s not the case Apple won’t release one.

SAMSUNG already has 80% of the sales in the current foldable market , apple has no chance really given how Tim is running the company by pure greed and they just increase the price yearly now for the same product.

Imagine the price of an apple foldable in this current market just by looking what they did in the past 2 years with the 14-15 models price hikes :) 2500 EU for one probably nobody would buy it.
 
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Zmmyt

macrumors 68000
Jan 6, 2005
1,726
805
SAMSUNG already has 80% of the sales in the current foldable market , apple has no chance really given how Tim is running the company by pure greed and they just increase the price yearly now for the same product.

Imagine the price of an apple foldable in this current market just by looking what they did in the past 2 years with the 14-15 models price hikes :) 2500 EU for one probably nobody would buy it.
They might have an 80% market share but this doesn’t mean they make a lot of money on the phones they sell. How many do they sell each year/quarter? Apple sells 40 million iPhones in a blink of an eye.
 
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