I predict it will get much better reviews the second time around, because it won't suck as obviously as it did (and to be fair the design strengthening should help keep it running smoothly for the week or two the reviewers have it).
It should be noted that this will continue to be a $2,000 smartphone. Let me repeat that: the list price on this is $1,980. You could buy a base 11-inch iPad Pro and an iPhone XS for the same money, and neither one will have a crease in the screen at the fold point (you'll note the press release didn't address that problem, because its inherent to the technology). It should also be noted that this is a plastic screen (thus how it folds).
I sincerely hope that this technology gets refined and finds more practical uses in the coming years, but buyers should be aware that they are mostly buying some very expensive bragging rights rather than a road-tested and thoroughly-vetted bleeding-edge phablet like you would get from Apple (if Apple were to do something like this).
It should further be noted that the two Apple devices can be used simultaneously, like I use my iPad when traveling to tune in Netflix while chatting or video chatting my girl on my phone, or 100 other contexts where one or two people might be using the iPad and iPhone at the same time. Anyone with kids could attest that two devices are better than one at the same cost.
According to Samsung, the new and improved Galaxy Fold features a top protective layer that has been extended beyond the bezel, making it "apparent that it is an integral part of the display structure and not meant to be removed."
So the top protective layer still "can" be removed. They have just tried to make it more obvious that you shouldn't remove it. So if you have a screen protector on the phone over the top of the protective layer and then you remove the screen protector would that also remove the protective layer?
It seems like there are many issues that could still occur with this half baked product.
This thing should come with child safety warnings.
I predict it will get much better reviews the second time around, because it won't suck as obviously as it did (and to be fair the design strengthening should help keep it running smoothly for the week or two the reviewers have it).
It should be noted that this will continue to be a $2,000 smartphone. Let me repeat that: the list price on this is $1,980. You could buy a base 11-inch iPad Pro and an iPhone XS for the same money, and neither one will have a crease in the screen at the fold point (you'll note the press release didn't address that problem, because its inherent to the technology). It should also be noted that this is a plastic screen (thus how it folds).
I sincerely hope that this technology gets refined and finds more practical uses in the coming years, but buyers should be aware that they are mostly buying some very expensive bragging rights rather than a road-tested and thoroughly-vetted bleeding-edge phablet like you would get from Apple (if Apple were to do something like this).
That's true. But then Apple expects to pay for and lug around an iPhone, and iPad and MacBook. At some point people will tire of that nonsense. Apple has to be careful that hubris (telling customers what they will get) does not interfere with meeting customer's wants and needs.
We are on the edge of a number technological breakthroughs that could seriously impact computing: -- Tablets as powerful as laptops -- 5G opening up new avenues in computing -- IoT -- Miniaturization making wearables 'a thing' -- Foldable displays -- AI
Combine all of them and computing could head in ways not yet imagined.
This is still an entirely pointless concept. No one needs a foldable screen and no one will make one that isn’t compromised in one (or multiple) way or other.
A "folding" phone could be good, if "folding" including the capability to roll up in the the form factor of a pen or such. Like a better version of the comm devices in Gene Roddenberry's Earth Final Conflict series of a few years back.
This is still an entirely pointless concept. No one needs a foldable screen and no one will make one that isn’t compromised in one (or multiple) way or other.
A "folding" phone could be good, if "folding" including the capability to roll up in the the form factor of a pen or such. Like a better version of the comm devices in Gene Roddenberry's Earth Final Conflict series of a few years back.
Earth Final Conflict? I remember it. Excellent show. Don't forget WestWorld, which I haven't seen yet but heard about the 'foldable phone' in the series that's eerily close to reality.
I’m so looking forward to this launch and the months following. It will break again in the hands of consumers. And again and again. And for those who don’t have mechanical issues with the beast, they will have in their hands a too small phone display when folded and a too square tablet when unfolded. A compromised product design in a market where a product’s physical design has for years been touted as essential to success. Good luck, Sammy. You’re gonna need plenty.
Not to mention that Android is absolutely and positively complete shit as a tablet OS. You're really getting the worst of all worlds here. A massively thick smartphone with huge bezels that looks like it came out in 2003, and a trash tablet. But hey, it folds.
AT LEAST SAMSUNG HAS BALLS, NOT LIKE APPLE WHO CANT INNOVATE ANYMORE /s
Samsung has balls but it's not the only one. Other competitors are getting bolder unlike Apple that's slow as molasses these days. Sure, they may follow the mantra 'slow and steady wins the race' but it can also bite them in the ass. You can't take too long to 'get it right' so Apple needs to get moving with whatever X product they're stuck with in the pipeline. However, keep in mind that Samsung has been trying to move away from Android and use the open source Tizen OS, but ended up with Samsung One OS if I recall.
And also foldable phones are not a new concept. LG, if I recall, did something similar with a side flip phone called the enV that opens up like a book with a physical keyboard and held horizontally way back in 2003-2004. In that sense, Samsung is going back to that idea but with a smartphone this time around using a foldable screen. Even T-Mobile's Sidekick was designed in similar fashion which was quite popular with deaf people that I know ( Blackberry ultimately became the favorite when Sidekick got phased out until the era of smartphones with touch screens became standard ).
This is still an entirely pointless concept. No one needs a foldable screen and no one will make one that isn’t compromised in one (or multiple) way or other.
I beg to differ and believe this is the direction of the next generation of smartphones. There's no way that all the smartphones are going to stay with the 'candy bar' touch screen design for the next 15-20 years because something has to give. And considering what Samsung is trying to do, I think of it as an attempt to blur the lines between a small tablet and phone form factor into one. Is it impossible? No. It can be done because the research put into foldable screens have been around for a long time and especially screens that roll up, if you look at the asian market for the last 5-10 years, probably longer. Even Microsoft did something similar with the Courier and killed the project later on ( I read somewhere that it's being reconsidered for the Surface line ).
I'm sure Apple has the same idea but if Samsung manages to pull it off this Fall, some folks at Apple Park may start crapping in their pants and realize it's a new era. In my opinion, it's going to take about 5-8 years before Apple comes out with a foldable device after Samsung fixes the problem. But by then, Apple will have already had a new CEO in place.
I think the foldable smartphone with a screen that bends will appeal to those who prefer NOT to have two separate devices, be able to use a Pen on it, and have some financing to buy it. I don't have the money to buy it but the concept behind it is solid. Popping a phone open into a tablet form factor to use as a map is a great idea as one case scenario or to multi-task between apps on a larger screen form is very practical.
I suspect phones like this will become the norm in the next 10 years and then on. Candy bar phones like iPhone will be around but might not be considered flagship or standard by then, even basic flip phones are still around and still are good alternatives for those who want something simpler.
This is still an entirely pointless concept. No one needs a foldable screen and no one will make one that isn’t compromised in one (or multiple) way or other.
A "folding" phone could be good, if "folding" including the capability to roll up in the the form factor of a pen or such. Like a better version of the comm devices in Gene Roddenberry's Earth Final Conflict series of a few years back.
I believe Samsung will allow the use of the Pen for their foldable phone's 2nd iteration this Fall or in 2020-2021's new version. I see it as being very handy for note taking in conference meetings, or for designers/artists who need to jot down an idea, or folding back to watch a show, etc. Once the foldable phone in the market gets cheaper in the next few years, it'll proliferate. So essentially, Samsung's not the only one doing it.
This is still an entirely pointless concept. No one needs a foldable screen and no one will make one that isn’t compromised in one (or multiple) way or other.
I beg to differ and believe this is the direction of the next generation of smartphones. There's no way that all the smartphones are going to stay with the 'candy bar' touch screen design for the next 15-20 years because something has to give. And considering what Samsung is trying to do, I think of it as an attempt to blur the lines between a small tablet and phone form factor into one. Is it impossible? No. It can be done because the research put into foldable screens have been around for a long time and especially screens that roll up, if you look at the asian market for the last 5-10 years, probably longer. Even Microsoft did something similar with the Courier and killed the project later on ( I read somewhere that it's being reconsidered for the Surface line ).
I'm sure Apple has the same idea but if Samsung manages to pull it off this Fall, some folks at Apple Park may start crapping in their pants and realize it's a new era. In my opinion, it's going to take about 5-8 years before Apple comes out with a foldable device after Samsung fixes the problem. But by then, Apple will have already had a new CEO in place.
I think the foldable smartphone with a screen that bends will appeal to those who prefer NOT to have two separate devices, be able to use a Pen on it, and have some financing to buy it. I don't have the money to buy it but the concept behind it is solid. Popping a phone open into a tablet form factor to use as a map is a great idea as one case scenario or to multi-task between apps on a larger screen form is very practical.
I suspect phones like this will become the norm in the next 10 years and then on. Candy bar phones like iPhone will be around but might not be considered flagship or standard by then, even basic flip phones are still around and still are good alternatives for those who want something simpler.
I agree with almost the entirety of what you say. The argument by those who claim it's better to tote two devices is largely a non-argument.
Having folding phones doesn't remove the option of carrying two devices, it simply provides an alternative to it. Anyone buying into a folding format will do so for the most part so as not to have to carry two devices.
As with any very high tech device, the initial audience for it will be limited but the same is true of any groundbreaking CE device.
Later generations will improve on earlier weaknesses and come down in price.
For the Fold, I'll keep an open mind on it until it actually has some real world use under its belt.
I’m so looking forward to this launch and the months following. It will break again in the hands of consumers. And again and again. And for those who don’t have mechanical issues with the beast, they will have in their hands a too small phone display when folded and a too square tablet when unfolded. A compromised product design in a market where a product’s physical design has for years been touted as essential to success. Good luck, Sammy. You’re gonna need plenty.
Not to mention that Android is absolutely and positively complete shit as a tablet OS. You're really getting the worst of all worlds here. A massively thick smartphone with huge bezels that looks like it came out in 2003, and a trash tablet. But hey, it folds.
AT LEAST SAMSUNG HAS BALLS, NOT LIKE APPLE WHO CANT INNOVATE ANYMORE /s
Samsung has balls but it's not the only one. Other competitors are getting bolder unlike Apple that's slow as molasses these days. Sure, they may follow the mantra 'slow and steady wins the race' but it can also bite them in the ass. You can't take too long to 'get it right' so Apple needs to get moving with whatever X product they're stuck with in the pipeline. However, keep in mind that Samsung has been trying to move away from Android and use the open source Tizen OS, but ended up with Samsung One OS if I recall.
And also foldable phones are not a new concept. LG, if I recall, did something similar with a side flip phone called the enV that opens up like a book with a physical keyboard and held horizontally way back in 2003-2004. In that sense, Samsung is going back to that idea but with a smartphone this time around using a foldable screen. Even T-Mobile's Sidekick was designed in similar fashion which was quite popular with deaf people that I know ( Blackberry ultimately became the favorite when Sidekick got phased out until the era of smartphones with touch screens became standard ).
"Slow as molasses these days"? Sorry, but you're completely full of shit and objectively wrong. Did you watch the last WWDC? Does that look like a company sitting on their ass? Not sure how anyone and assess the breadth and depth of those announcements and claim Apple is "slow as molasses". They're more efficient and productive than they've ever been, and that doesn't have to be defined as shitting out a new hardware form factor every month just for the hell of it. What product out there is actually more advanced than the latest iPhone in a meaningful and overall way? Apple makes serious products, backed by a serious vision and serious software. It knows that what it sells is purchased by hundreds of millions of people, and it doesn't lightly take introducing something new to market that shits on that by being half-baked, simply for having temporary bragging rights. It seems that's exactly what you want Apple to do. Every aspect of their devices, including the performance, biometrics, screen technology, software, ecosystem, reliability, design, etc is still the very best of class. You may have products that have higher specs in a couple areas, (screen resolution, etc) but I have yet to see anything as a superior overall package, and since you haven't named anything, I doubt you can either. All their mobile products, including the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and their included technologies, are still the very best of class.
I have no doubt Apple has folding shit in their labs. I also have no doubt that they won't release anything until they have an extremely convincing argument to consumers about why that product deserves to exist, and why it is meaningful. That's the way it should be. It seems you're happy for them to panic and release trash as a reactionary measure to others. This is what makes people lose consumer confidence in a company and its products. Apple's software, services, ecosystem, and hardware updates in the last couple of years have proven that they're not "slow as molasses" and that they're firing on all cylinders. No doubt they have some mind-blowing stuff in the pipeline, but I'll trust their release schedule compared to trolls like you without an ounce of patience or perspective, nor any understanding of what has always made Apple great. Your post could have been written anytime in the last 20 years (Apple has always been disciplined, methodical, and intentional in releasing products) and it would always have been dead-wrong, as it is today. People said the same thing when the market was being flooded with shitty tablets, then shitty smart watches, demanding why Apple didn't have anything to offer. It's because what they were working on, and what they eventually released, was a leap ahead of anything else.
I honestly don't see how anyone can be disappointed with Apple's current lineup or ecosystem. It's the best it's had in it's history.
Well done for never having understood a thing about Apple or how it operates. It's also hilarious how you accuse them of missing the ball, when the product category you're referring to has yet to show a shred of success of reliability.
So Samesung is fixing things that should have been fixed before they tried to launch this phone. It was like they built it in a lab and didn't do any real world testing. Many people including myself could have pointed out these flaws. Clearly they knew after the fact what needed to be done. Hopefully this 2.0 version is a lot better.
Everyone interested (party of one on this forum) should wait to see if reviewers get their hands on it and how they rate it before deciding to dive in.
So they're gonna try to launch it along side the next iPhone then? We'll see how that works out.
I don't see this as an iPhone competitor. Sure, you can only use one smartphone at a time, but people who are willing to buy this either are collectors who have more than enough funds to also buy an iPhone or simply aren't Apple customers to begin with. Even without their initial failure and setback the unit sales were going to be poor for this product.
It’s a phone (that happens to also try to be other things).
Its EXACTLY an iPhone competitor.
Its basically trying (and failing) to be the Microsoft surface of phones.
A 2k bendy thingy trying to steal a sale away from a 1k best in class phone.
LOL
so Samsung is trying to compete with Apple with their Gumby phablet. But the end result will be as you guessed: extremely niche.
GUMBY PHABLET. That's the best description of this disaster I've seen. I'll bring the popcorn. This fiasco will be entertaining to watch.
I’m so looking forward to this launch and the months following. It will break again in the hands of consumers. And again and again. And for those who don’t have mechanical issues with the beast, they will have in their hands a too small phone display when folded and a too square tablet when unfolded. A compromised product design in a market where a product’s physical design has for years been touted as essential to success. Good luck, Sammy. You’re gonna need plenty.
Not to mention that Android is absolutely and positively complete shit as a tablet OS. You're really getting the worst of all worlds here. A massively thick smartphone with huge bezels that looks like it came out in 2003, and a trash tablet. But hey, it folds.
AT LEAST SAMSUNG HAS BALLS, NOT LIKE APPLE WHO CANT INNOVATE ANYMORE /s
Samsung has balls but it's not the only one. Other competitors are getting bolder unlike Apple that's slow as molasses these days. Sure, they may follow the mantra 'slow and steady wins the race' but it can also bite them in the ass. You can't take too long to 'get it right' so Apple needs to get moving with whatever X product they're stuck with in the pipeline. However, keep in mind that Samsung has been trying to move away from Android and use the open source Tizen OS, but ended up with Samsung One OS if I recall.
And also foldable phones are not a new concept. LG, if I recall, did something similar with a side flip phone called the enV that opens up like a book with a physical keyboard and held horizontally way back in 2003-2004. In that sense, Samsung is going back to that idea but with a smartphone this time around using a foldable screen. Even T-Mobile's Sidekick was designed in similar fashion which was quite popular with deaf people that I know ( Blackberry ultimately became the favorite when Sidekick got phased out until the era of smartphones with touch screens became standard ).
"Slow as molasses these days"? Sorry, but you're completely full of shit and objectively wrong. Did you watch the last WWDC? Does that look like a company sitting on their ass? Not sure how anyone and assess the breadth and depth of those announcements and claim Apple is "slow as molasses". They're more efficient and productive than they've ever been, and that doesn't have to be defined as shitting out a new hardware form factor every month just for the hell of it. What product out there is actually more advanced than the latest iPhone in a meaningful and overall way? Apple makes serious products, backed by a serious vision and serious software. It knows that what it sells is purchased by hundreds of millions of people, and it doesn't lightly take introducing something new to market that shits on that by being half-baked, simply for having temporary bragging rights. It seems that's exactly what you want Apple to do. Every aspect of their devices, including the performance, biometrics, screen technology, software, ecosystem, reliability, design, etc is still the very best of class. You may have products that have higher specs in a couple areas, (screen resolution, etc) but I have yet to see anything as a superior overall package, and since you haven't named anything, I doubt you can either. All their mobile products, including the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and their included technologies, are still the very best of class.
I have no doubt Apple has folding shit in their labs. I also have no doubt that they won't release anything until they have an extremely convincing argument to consumers about why that product deserves to exist, and why it is meaningful. That's the way it should be. It seems you're happy for them to panic and release trash as a reactionary measure to others. This is what makes people lose consumer confidence in a company and its products. Apple's software, services, ecosystem, and hardware updates in the last couple of years have proven that they're not "slow as molasses" and that they're firing on all cylinders. No doubt they have some mind-blowing stuff in the pipeline, but I'll trust their release schedule compared to trolls like you without an ounce of patience or perspective, nor any understanding of what has always made Apple great. Your post could have been written anytime in the last 20 years (Apple has always been disciplined and intentional in releasing products) and it would always have been dead-wrong, as it is today. People said the same thing when the market was being flooded with shitty tablet, then shitty smart watches, demanding why Apple didn't have anything to offer. It's because what they were working on, and what they eventually released, was a leap ahead of anything else.
Well done for never having understood a thing about Apple or how it operates.
As for " firing on all cylinders", that's a Tim Cook line. I astutely remember him saying that several years back. Are you defending him? As for being a troll, hardly because I've been around Apple products for years since the 80s. I've used Macs for my creative/design work in the last 25 years now. Even if they don't appear to panic, they hide it under the hood and mind you, Apple is not made of stone so it's bound to have cracks. All companies do.
The problem with Apple is with their current narrative on products and if you think Apple is going to be this eternally perfect, think again. It's made up of flesh and bone that can wither away, quit, or retire. About 10 years from now, most of the 'old guard' will be long gone and the company's direction might lose sight of its vision once again. I'm not one of those Apple ass kissers and am realistic enough to see that it won't stay on top forever. Have they been slow as molasses? I think it has been. Take a look at how long it took them to get rid of the butterfly keyboard, as an example, out of consumer complaints and backtrack to what made the keys work well.
There are some Apple products that don't impress me that could've been done much better the FIRST time around. They did screw things up design wise in the last several years with form over function for the most part. 1st gen iPad Pro, for instance, had the Pencil charge by the port when the Surface Pro has a magnetic strip on the side for it. The iPad Pro came out after Tim Cook publicly poo poohed the Surface Pro, green lights that particular 1st gen design, and then about 3 years later, Apple comes out with a new model that has a magnetic Pencil to hold on the side, EXACTLY the way the Surface Pro had the first time around. That's a 180 degree reactive turn by Apple. Why would Cook pooh pooh the Surface Pro and then 3 years later, go the magnetic charge on the side for the Pencil and go with a flat edge hardware design that harkens back to the iPhone 4/5? And look at iPad OS. Why didn't they do this in the first place for the iPad Pro? This tells me that something was wrong under the hood at the company. I watch how it behaves, not how much it made or how its stock is doing.
And now with Jony leaving, the question remains whether Apple will return back to function over form or stay the course, so we'll know by next year or so, give or take, if what Jony said about his disappointment with Cook not caring about the product design process is true. I don't care how much money Apple has in its coffers or how its stocks are doing. All I care about is what's going on underneath the hood in the company.
So in that sense, will they come out with a foldable device? Probably. But by then, they'll likely be late to the game which may or may not work out. Just because it's Apple doesn't mean each of their products will turn out to be gold and instant hits. That halo effect has been worn out. How Apple behaves publicly is all optics and PR. Look at how Apple is on its knees begging the White House to be exempt from the trade war over their Mac Pro situation recently. Or look at how Apple just apparently disbanded the AR team, some time after Tim Cook proclaimed AR as having great potential in one interview.
In the end, Apple is going to have challenges ahead.
If they go down in flames that could really hit the company hard.
It will, and no one will care. Least of all Samsung. They build ships over on the other side of the peninsula. They don’t give two squirts of piss if their phone department doesn’t make a dime. It’s simply a marketing machine for them.
If they go down in flames that could really hit the company hard.
It will, and no one will care. Least of all Samsung. They build ships over on the other side of the peninsula. They couldn’t give two squirts of piss if their phone business doesn’t make a dime. It’s simply a marketing machine for them.
EDIT: My gosh this forum system…
It is a shame that we focus so much on their smartphones when they do really well in many other aspects of business.
This is still an entirely pointless concept. No one needs a foldable screen and no one will make one that isn’t compromised in one (or multiple) way or other.
This is dumbassery of the highest order. 'No one needs...' What utter bullshit. No one needs an iPhone X, Xs, or Xr. No one needs anything more than an iPhone 6. Or 7. Or maybe an 8.
The folding phone concept isn't pointless though you can't see that. The product isn't for everybody, rereleasing in this soon may mean it's not ready for anybody, still.
What is the problem being solved? We see the how how but please answer the why for this product. That’s where good product begins — the why.
Comments
This thing should come with child safety warnings.
We are on the edge of a number technological breakthroughs that could seriously impact computing:
-- Tablets as powerful as laptops
-- 5G opening up new avenues in computing
-- IoT
-- Miniaturization making wearables 'a thing'
-- Foldable displays
-- AI
Combine all of them and computing could head in ways not yet imagined.
And also foldable phones are not a new concept. LG, if I recall, did something similar with a side flip phone called the enV that opens up like a book with a physical keyboard and held horizontally way back in 2003-2004. In that sense, Samsung is going back to that idea but with a smartphone this time around using a foldable screen. Even T-Mobile's Sidekick was designed in similar fashion which was quite popular with deaf people that I know ( Blackberry ultimately became the favorite when Sidekick got phased out until the era of smartphones with touch screens became standard ).
I'm sure Apple has the same idea but if Samsung manages to pull it off this Fall, some folks at Apple Park may start crapping in their pants and realize it's a new era. In my opinion, it's going to take about 5-8 years before Apple comes out with a foldable device after Samsung fixes the problem. But by then, Apple will have already had a new CEO in place.
I think the foldable smartphone with a screen that bends will appeal to those who prefer NOT to have two separate devices, be able to use a Pen on it, and have some financing to buy it. I don't have the money to buy it but the concept behind it is solid. Popping a phone open into a tablet form factor to use as a map is a great idea as one case scenario or to multi-task between apps on a larger screen form is very practical.
I suspect phones like this will become the norm in the next 10 years and then on. Candy bar phones like iPhone will be around but might not be considered flagship or standard by then, even basic flip phones are still around and still are good alternatives for those who want something simpler.
Having folding phones doesn't remove the option of carrying two devices, it simply provides an alternative to it. Anyone buying into a folding format will do so for the most part so as not to have to carry two devices.
As with any very high tech device, the initial audience for it will be limited but the same is true of any groundbreaking CE device.
Later generations will improve on earlier weaknesses and come down in price.
For the Fold, I'll keep an open mind on it until it actually has some real world use under its belt.
I have no doubt Apple has folding shit in their labs. I also have no doubt that they won't release anything until they have an extremely convincing argument to consumers about why that product deserves to exist, and why it is meaningful. That's the way it should be. It seems you're happy for them to panic and release trash as a reactionary measure to others. This is what makes people lose consumer confidence in a company and its products. Apple's software, services, ecosystem, and hardware updates in the last couple of years have proven that they're not "slow as molasses" and that they're firing on all cylinders. No doubt they have some mind-blowing stuff in the pipeline, but I'll trust their release schedule compared to trolls like you without an ounce of patience or perspective, nor any understanding of what has always made Apple great. Your post could have been written anytime in the last 20 years (Apple has always been disciplined, methodical, and intentional in releasing products) and it would always have been dead-wrong, as it is today. People said the same thing when the market was being flooded with shitty tablets, then shitty smart watches, demanding why Apple didn't have anything to offer. It's because what they were working on, and what they eventually released, was a leap ahead of anything else.
I honestly don't see how anyone can be disappointed with Apple's current lineup or ecosystem. It's the best it's had in it's history.
Well done for never having understood a thing about Apple or how it operates. It's also hilarious how you accuse them of missing the ball, when the product category you're referring to has yet to show a shred of success of reliability.
I'll bring the popcorn. This fiasco will be entertaining to watch.
The problem with Apple is with their current narrative on products and if you think Apple is going to be this eternally perfect, think again. It's made up of flesh and bone that can wither away, quit, or retire. About 10 years from now, most of the 'old guard' will be long gone and the company's direction might lose sight of its vision once again. I'm not one of those Apple ass kissers and am realistic enough to see that it won't stay on top forever. Have they been slow as molasses? I think it has been. Take a look at how long it took them to get rid of the butterfly keyboard, as an example, out of consumer complaints and backtrack to what made the keys work well.
There are some Apple products that don't impress me that could've been done much better the FIRST time around. They did screw things up design wise in the last several years with form over function for the most part. 1st gen iPad Pro, for instance, had the Pencil charge by the port when the Surface Pro has a magnetic strip on the side for it. The iPad Pro came out after Tim Cook publicly poo poohed the Surface Pro, green lights that particular 1st gen design, and then about 3 years later, Apple comes out with a new model that has a magnetic Pencil to hold on the side, EXACTLY the way the Surface Pro had the first time around. That's a 180 degree reactive turn by Apple. Why would Cook pooh pooh the Surface Pro and then 3 years later, go the magnetic charge on the side for the Pencil and go with a flat edge hardware design that harkens back to the iPhone 4/5? And look at iPad OS. Why didn't they do this in the first place for the iPad Pro? This tells me that something was wrong under the hood at the company. I watch how it behaves, not how much it made or how its stock is doing.
And now with Jony leaving, the question remains whether Apple will return back to function over form or stay the course, so we'll know by next year or so, give or take, if what Jony said about his disappointment with Cook not caring about the product design process is true. I don't care how much money Apple has in its coffers or how its stocks are doing. All I care about is what's going on underneath the hood in the company.
So in that sense, will they come out with a foldable device? Probably. But by then, they'll likely be late to the game which may or may not work out. Just because it's Apple doesn't mean each of their products will turn out to be gold and instant hits. That halo effect has been worn out. How Apple behaves publicly is all optics and PR. Look at how Apple is on its knees begging the White House to be exempt from the trade war over their Mac Pro situation recently. Or look at how Apple just apparently disbanded the AR team, some time after Tim Cook proclaimed AR as having great potential in one interview.
In the end, Apple is going to have challenges ahead.