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ghanwani

macrumors 601
Original poster
Dec 8, 2008
4,602
5,766
The flip has an advantage in that you can easily sit it on any flattish surface and have it take a photo or video, something that is impossible to do with the candy bar design without a kickstand or tripod.
 

Sami13496

macrumors 6502
Jul 25, 2022
464
1,124
I was at the party where one guy had foldable and flexed it all the time. There was a lot of people and everyone got drunk. That guy left his phone on a table and then someone apparently put crisps between the foldable and closed it. So the crumbs of the crisps got everywhere in the hinge and inside. It was sad and funny in the same time. No one knows who did it. What is the lesson here you think?
 

boss.king

macrumors 603
Apr 8, 2009
6,143
6,904
The flip has an advantage in that you can easily sit it on any flattish surface and have it take a photo or video, something that is impossible to do with the candy bar design without a kickstand or tripod.
I mean, it's pretty easy to prop your phone up against a bag or a water bottle or a rock. Not exactly the game changer I'd consider switching phones over.
 
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Gumbeaux

macrumors newbie
Jan 23, 2022
9
7
As someone else said no one stays on top forever.

Apple has their loyal consumer base and I too use an iPhone as my daily driver. It’s a very solid device that meets my needs.

Apple plays it safe a lot with very evolutionary changes instead of innovative. Eventually some company will come along with a fresher idea and people will flock to it.

Right now, Apple is having its moment in the sun. The iPhone and its companion devices such the AirPods and Apple Watch are basically are just there to compliment the iPhone as it’s the workhorse.

This Vision Pro is Apple trying to branch out to other hardware outside of iPhones and its MacBooks. I believe it will be more of a niche product and not something highly bankable for the company. For one, it’s too expensive for the general public and I also don’t think AR/VR is some can’t miss product like they’re hedging their bets on.

Tech enthusiasts and gamers will love it, but at that price point it will not be a mainstream product. I don’t think it will be even if they eventually come out with a cheaper version either.
 
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ninecows

macrumors 6502a
Apr 9, 2012
651
1,047
They are not gonna make a Nokia moment due to lack of foldable screen. If anything they will because of their lousy Siri assistant. That AI thing is really moving now and unless Apple manages to release something groundbreaking soon they will take a hit.

On a daily basis my AW will suddenly interrupt me with a “I don’t understand that”. Even though I didn’t even asked it for anything. And when I try to ask it something it’s like 50% success rate.
 

theorist9

macrumors 68040
May 28, 2015
3,701
2,800
I liked the pocketability of my folding phone. I'd like Apple to use foldability to take a regular-sized phone and make it compact (a folded iPhone Pro Max would be smaller than a man's wallet, and a folded iPhone Pro would be much smaller), rather than taking a huge phone and making it closer to the size of a current phone.

I.e., I'd be more interested in an iPhone version of the Z Flip5 than the Z Fold5:

Z Flip5 (YES!):

1706681644482.png



Z Fold5 (NO!):
1706681600779.png
 

Skyscraperfan

macrumors 6502a
Oct 13, 2021
761
2,129
My phone still is a Nokia phone. They recently brought back all of their famous models from over 20 years ago, but today for a fraction of the price.
 

AlmightyKang

macrumors 6502
Nov 20, 2023
482
1,478
The article is marketing garbage and really shows up CNBC for what they are.

The analyst works for a securities company in HK and is trying to prop up their capital investment in China and specifically Huawei's interests because they're selling products backed by those investments and those are collapsing due to the ban on their products in Five Eyes countries. On top of that China's financial markets are collapsing too. They will say literally anything to try and direct the market away where possible and that means conveying doubt in competitors and propping up absolute garbage statements about products and vendors they are invested in.

Realistically if there is a decline it will be a whole market decline because people aren't seeing the advantages of buying a new phone every 2 years now. On top of that due to global economic decline, luxury purchases like unnecessary new phones will be declining too.
 

Abazigal

Contributor
Jul 18, 2011
19,643
22,149
Singapore
Apple is reportedly seeing a net influx of users switching over from Android. Not to mention that even if users are holding on to their iPhones longer and not upgrading as often, they are still able to continue earning by way of accessories, apps and services.

So I think Apple is nothing like Nokia. People are not going to abandon the iOS ecosystem anytime soon (abandon it for what alternative even?). If anything, the ecosystem gets stickier every year, and people will find it even harder to leave, and that should be a concern for the Android platform.

Tales of Apple's impending demise often strike me as a nothingburger. They are not going anywhere, and they most certainly are not going to lose to a folding phone.
 
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Hails09

macrumors 6502
Apr 22, 2022
328
347
Apple is reportedly seeing a net influx of users switching over from Android. Not to mention that even if users are holding on to their iPhones longer and not upgrading as often, they are still able to continue earning by way of accessories, apps and services.

So I think Apple is nothing like Nokia. People are not going to abandon the iOS ecosystem anytime soon (abandon it for what alternative even?). If anything, the ecosystem gets stickier every year, and people will find it even harder to leave, and that should be a concern for the Android platform.

Tales of Apple's impending demise often strike me as a nothingburger. They are not going anywhere, and they most certainly are not going to lose to a folding phone.
It depends on what country your talking about?
 

krspkbl

macrumors 68020
Jul 20, 2012
2,129
5,194
Definitely been seeing a lot of people with those Samsung flip phones and they honestly look so cool. I considered getting one but I just can't get onboard with a plastic screen that gets scratched by finger nails and bits of dust/debris from my pocket.

Everything else about it seems fine though. They work well software wise and the build quality is great... just not the screen durability.
 
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timber

macrumors 65816
Aug 30, 2006
1,156
2,124
Lisbon
In the article below:
"Apple may see a drop in iPhone shipments this year, due in part to the growing popularity of foldable phones, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says."

Remember when everyone was offering clamshell phones and Nokia stubbornly stuck with the candy bar? We're in a slightly different era now but I'm seeing more and more people carrying flip phones.

Edit: I think Flip phones (which open to a regular phone size) are more popular than the Fold phones (which open to a mini tablet). At least that's what I see more people carrying and some iPhone users that I know have switched to those. A second thing is that at its core Apple is an iPhone company. You take that away and everything falls apart.

Edit 2: Back then I preferred candy bar design but was in minority. Just like I am now by preferring Touch ID and LCD.
Well, in Europe clamshell phones were never that popular (or BB) and Nokia was an European manufacturer.

Nokia mistakes were later.

Apple may of course same day hit that Nokia moment but I doubt it will be this time and for this reason. Ming Chi Kuo is quite good when leveraging his Chinese suppliers connections, outside of that just really bad guesswork.
 

n-evo

macrumors 68000
Aug 9, 2013
1,768
1,485
Amsterdam
Well, in Europe clamshell phones were never that popular (or BB)
From what I remember BlackBerry's were insanely popular here in the Netherlands. Among youngsters (because of the free messaging service Ping) and business people alike. Basically the iPhone of its day. That said the market was more fragmented than between different brands. But the BlackBerry was definitely the "cool" phone to have before the iPhone came in. They were basically done by the time the iPhone 5 was released. But it still took a good few years; they had quite a few die-hard fans here who refused to let go. Now it's largely iPhone and Galaxy.
 
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Sorinut

macrumors 68000
Feb 26, 2015
1,670
4,557
BlackBerry's were insanely popular here in the Netherlands. Among youngsters (because of the free messaging (ping)) and business people alike. Basically the iPhone of its day. That said the market was more fragmented then. Now it's largely iPhone and Galaxy. The BlackBerry was the last hit phone before the iPhone 3GS came in. They were basically done by the time the iPhone 5 was released.

I was in college and grad school during the high time for Blackberry, but I rarely saw them. All my college friends had flip phones.

AIM was really popular then, so most people chatted via their computers.
 

MarkNewton2023

macrumors 6502a
Sep 17, 2023
604
600
In the article below:
"Apple may see a drop in iPhone shipments this year, due in part to the growing popularity of foldable phones, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says."

Remember when everyone was offering clamshell phones and Nokia stubbornly stuck with the candy bar? We're in a slightly different era now but I'm seeing more and more people carrying flip phones.

Edit: I think Flip phones (which open to a regular phone size) are more popular than the Fold phones (which open to a mini tablet). At least that's what I see more people carrying and some iPhone users that I know have switched to those. A second thing is that at its core Apple is an iPhone company. You take that away and everything falls apart.

Edit 2: Back then I preferred candy bar design but was in minority. Just like I am now by preferring Touch ID and LCD.
I am sure Apple will take necessary steps to resolve the drop shipment impact to ensure their biggest source of income is not badly impacted. One of the steps might include having a foldable iPhone line in the future in addition to the regular one to cover all iPhone consumer preferences. After all, iPhone is their bread and butter. Keep calm and be happy with Apple as they care about their customers.
 

aj_niner

Suspended
Dec 24, 2023
360
372
They still rely on the iPhone for everything as that’s the hub for everything else
That's why they're branching out to other ventures.

- Apple TV?
- Apple Watch?
- iPad?
- iCloud?
- Maps?
- Apple Pay?
- Apple Health?
- Apple Music?
- Vision Pro?
 

matrix07

macrumors G3
Jun 24, 2010
8,226
4,891
Meh, foldable phone will do nothing for iPhone (and Apple can easily make one if they’d like). It will be the new super AI devices that kills them, not this gimmicky kind of phone.
 
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Sorinut

macrumors 68000
Feb 26, 2015
1,670
4,557
super AI devices that kills them

The tech industry can keep its "super ai". I want no part of it.

My phone is a communication device, and only used when I need it. Nothing more. When I was directly facing AI, I'll request it.
 

webkit

macrumors 68030
Jan 14, 2021
2,909
2,523
United States
I was in college and grad school during the high time for Blackberry, but I rarely saw them. All my college friends had flip phones.

AIM was really popular then, so most people chatted via their computers.

I think BlackBerry's popularity can be a bit exaggerated sometimes. While BB was very popular in the smartphone segment at its peak in the late 2000s/early 2010s, smartphones accounted for a much smaller portion of the overall mobile phone market at the time. It's not like today where smartphones account for around 90% of the mobile phone market.
 
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