Foldable iPhone

phlamethrowre

Well-known member
Feb 5, 2014
1,107
56
38
Visit site
I know this has been discussed but with the Fold 4 dropping it seems like a good topic to revisit.

Personally I can’t wait for Apple to release a foldable iPhone. As someone who lived thru the flip phone era I think a flip smartphone would be a good transition away from the current slabs.

Who else would be interested?
 

FFR

Well-known member
Nov 7, 2012
3,314
408
83
Visit site
As another person that lived through the flip era and living through the tablet era, no not really interested.


A mini tablet makes for a crappy phone. Honesty the 11inch iPad Pro feels absolutely tiny after getting used to the 12.9 inch, and I couldn’t imagine downgrading to a 7 inch tablet.

Regarding the phone part; a 6 inch display at 16mm when folded is absurd in 2022. I will stick with my 7.6mm iPhone 13pro max and 12.9 in iPad Pro.
 

tadpoles

Well-known member
Jul 20, 2015
782
12
18
Visit site
Having had the Fold, Fold2, and Fold3 and Flip3, I can say I’m glad Apple is holding off on the foldables market. Yes, the technology is innovativeand cery exciting. Unfortunately, from what I’ve read, the technology is not…durable. For me that was enough to make me back off. I just couldn’t have confidence in these devices’ longevity and from what I’ve read in the Android Central forums my concerns are not unfounded.
 

Ledsteplin

Ambassador
Oct 2, 2013
50,164
694
108
Visit site
I'm just not interested in a foldable iPhone. It just seems more gimmicky than practical. And pretty sure the price would be way out of what I'm willing to pay.
 

Up_And_Away

Well-known member
Aug 27, 2021
1,215
49
48
Visit site
The legacy of Steve Jobs: Apple gives big power inside the company to the Human Interface(interaction) Team. Marketing holds the extreme power in other companies but at Apple, that HI team holds uniquely big power. Design & Development may be clamoring about a new feature/design, Marketing may be screaming this will be a great selling point to move millions of units in sales. But if the HI team doesn’t think it is an upgraded benefit or sufficiently easy for the user? Well maybe next year’s iPhone model. I’d bet the mortgage payment a foldable iPhone has been at Apple R&D (and been sent to the HI team) for years. I’d also bet it is the HI team that has been saying “this is not an upgrade for the user experience, while it downgrades elements of the existing user experience”. I’d also bet Apple has many charts showing a foldable just won’t sell enough.

Imho a foldable is providing a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist, while adding some negative trade offs to achieve the solution. Seriously, add more time/steps to use your phone (think about the many thousands of times you pull out/pick up your phone and instantly start doing it. Now add a flip step to nearly every one of the thousands of times you do this). Then, due to it being a 50/50 type design, it has to be built with certain lesser features while at a higher price. All of that so you have half as tall a device in your pocket but it’s twice as thick. I sometimes have a bit of trouble getting my regular 11 out of my Jean pockets. Imagine making it twice as thick, imagine twice as thick in your pocket while sitting down. Lol, seriously? All of that to give you a middle folded screen that yes is in fact a significantly taller screen size for certain models but it is at an odd aspect ratio, or on other models it’s a regular phone. Solution chasing a problem that doesn’t really exist.
It’s been fun watching the YT tech channels slobber over the latest foldable (very similarly to last year’s foldable slobber fest). And this has been a nearly 100% slobber fest. Samsung marketing has been working overtime. Because to the tech channels, again,this year’s foldable is the greatest thing eva! I’m taking bets that in 12 months that model will be the greatest thing eva! :)
 

anon(50597)

Trusted Member
Dec 2, 2008
2,073
0
0
Visit site
The legacy of Steve Jobs: Apple gives big power inside the company to the Human Interface(interaction) Team. Marketing holds the extreme power in other companies but at Apple, that HI team holds uniquely big power. Design & Development may be clamoring about a new feature/design, Marketing may be screaming this will be a great selling point to move millions of units in sales. But if the HI team doesn’t think it is an upgraded benefit or sufficiently easy for the user? Well maybe next year’s iPhone model. I’d bet the mortgage payment a foldable iPhone has been at Apple R&D (and been sent to the HI team) for years. I’d also bet it is the HI team that has been saying “this is not an upgrade for the user experience, while it downgrades elements of the existing user experience”. I’d also bet Apple has many charts showing a foldable just won’t sell enough.

Imho a foldable is providing a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist, while adding some negative trade offs to achieve the solution. Seriously, add more time/steps to use your phone (think about the many thousands of times you pull out/pick up your phone and instantly start doing it. Now add a flip step to nearly every one of the thousands of times you do this). Then, due to it being a 50/50 type design, it has to be built with certain lesser features while at a higher price. All of that so you have half as tall a device in your pocket but it’s twice as thick. I sometimes have a bit of trouble getting my regular 11 out of my Jean pockets. Imagine making it twice as thick, imagine twice as thick in your pocket while sitting down. Lol, seriously? All of that to give you a middle folded screen that yes is in fact a significantly taller screen size for certain models but it is at an odd aspect ratio, or on other models it’s a regular phone. Solution chasing a problem that doesn’t really exist.
It’s been fun watching the YT tech channels slobber over the latest foldable (very similarly to last year’s foldable slobber fest). And this has been a nearly 100% slobber fest. Samsung marketing has been working overtime. Because to the tech channels, again,this year’s foldable is the greatest thing eva! I’m taking bets that in 12 months that model will be the greatest thing eva! :)

Well said!
 

phlamethrowre

Well-known member
Feb 5, 2014
1,107
56
38
Visit site
I should have said “Flip” 4 in my original post, not “Fold”

The reason I would be interested in a flip iPhone is simple. We all spend too much time on our phones. I feel like with a flip phone I would be more likely to keep it in my pocket unless I really need to open it. I could answer all calls on an earbud or thru my car when I’m driving. Other than replying to a text message I could leave it in my pocket all day, theoretically.
 

gnirkatto

Well-known member
Nov 4, 2017
570
6
18
Visit site
I am interested.
I checked out the Flip 4 the other day and have to say it's a funny nice little big phone. A little too fat when folded for my taste but that's gonna change over time with newer versions I guess...
Good fun the outside display for notifications and other applications.
It's a pity Apple doesn't make one yet - I have doubts they ever will.
These rectangular slabs get boring, and the very limited customization options of iOS do not make the thing more entertaining.
I would also prefer the phones to get thinner & lighter from time to time instead of the opposite.
Actually the only reason why I still use iPhones is because of using the Mac and an iPad, so the ecosystem rules. Good job Apple.
iPhones are by no means bad, but boring, once the initial excitement is gone, roughly 15 minutes after unboxing.

I might be part of a minority group, but this is my opinion.
 

gnirkatto

Well-known member
Nov 4, 2017
570
6
18
Visit site
P.S. one thing that may sway me towards a different phone could be an up to date version of a Blackberry with a real keyboard.
Old fashioned me.
 

FFR

Well-known member
Nov 7, 2012
3,314
408
83
Visit site
I should have said “Flip” 4 in my original post, not “Fold”

The reason I would be interested in a flip iPhone is simple. We all spend too much time on our phones. I feel like with a flip phone I would be more likely to keep it in my pocket unless I really need to open it. I could answer all calls on an earbud or thru my car when I’m driving. Other than replying to a text message I could leave it in my pocket all day, theoretically.

Flip or fold it’s the same issue. Nobody wants an absurdly fat phone in 2022.
The old flip phones were much slimmer than the slabs of the time.

Yeah sure, you should pick up a fat flip to leave it in your pocket all day . Definitely can’t do that with an iPhone.

Go for it op. Don’t forget to use that tiny screen as the primary display as well.
 

FFR

Well-known member
Nov 7, 2012
3,314
408
83
Visit site
P.S. one thing that may sway me towards a different phone could be an up to date version of a Blackberry with a real keyboard.
Old fashioned me.

giphy.gif


You do realize that blackberry is pretty much done with phones at this point.
 

Annie_M

Moderator
Mar 2, 2016
21,786
754
113
Visit site
After looking at several of the pictures of a new fold phone I have to admit that it looks pretty cool. However I would be very surprised if I were ever seriously interested in such a device. I will look at it seriously if Apple develops one in the future but right now I just can’t see me liking it over the long run.
 

phlamethrowre

Well-known member
Feb 5, 2014
1,107
56
38
Visit site
Flip or fold it’s the same issue. Nobody wants an absurdly fat phone in 2022.
The old flip phones were much slimmer than the slabs of the time.

Yeah sure, you should pick up a fat flip to leave it in your pocket all day . Definitely can’t do that with an iPhone.

Go for it op. Don’t forget to use that tiny screen as the primary display as well.

You lost me when you assumed to speak for everyone on the planet. Egocentric much?
 

phlamethrowre

Well-known member
Feb 5, 2014
1,107
56
38
Visit site
Sure I’m egocentric because I said you should go ahead and buy an absurdly fat phone to keep in your pocket.

giphy.gif

You said, “Nobody wants an absurdly fat phone in 2022.”

Try to keep up with the convo. Address that statement. Explain how you know that. I’ll wait.
 

FFR

Well-known member
Nov 7, 2012
3,314
408
83
Visit site
You said, “Nobody wants an absurdly fat phone in 2022.”

Try to keep up with the convo. Address that statement. Explain how you know that. I’ll wait.

So it wasn’t that I said you should go ahead and get an absurdly fat phone and keep it in your pocket, as you stated earlier.

Are you now claiming that 15-16mm is not an absurdly fat phone in 2022?
 

Trending Posts

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
260,011
Messages
1,765,310
Members
441,221
Latest member
CØR