iPhones are already too expensive in the pro lineup (which is what the iPhone used to only be).
Too expensive for who? You would know best if they're too expensive for you. The rest of the world disagrees. According to Counterpoint Research, here's how global sales of the Pro Max ranked among all smartphones in 2024: Q1 #1, Q2 #2, Q3 #2, Q4 #1. Not bad for a phone that's too expensive. As for the regular Pro, in case you're wondering: Q1 #3, Q2 #3, Q3 #3, Q4 #2. It was only beaten out in the rankings by either the Pro Max or regular iPhone.
As for the "predicted" price of the Fold: nobody knows, these predictions are just stupid, no one can tell you what the price of eggs will be in 2027, but yeah, we definitely know how much a non-existent Apple phone is gong to cost when it launches that year. smh.
Well said. I don’t care what it costs. It all comes down to whether it meets my needs. I can assure you that the last thing I’d ever want is to use any product for signaling social or financial status or wealth. Doing so is totally lame for me but I have no problem at all if it’s someone else’s thing. Good for them if that makes them happy. When I was a kid, nice things got stolen.
As far as a folding iPhone is concerned, I’ll wait and see what it does and what problem it solves. A good friend of mine has the latest Samsung folding phone. I’ve checked it out and it’s a very clever design and aesthetically pleasing. But that phone in particular doesn’t solve any problems or fill any desires I have. I still like clamshell notebooks and slab phones. I do have to say that my friend has 5 young children and the play around with the Samsung phone all the time and so far it’s still looking good.
Seems like it'll be "cool", but entirely unnecessary. Are the non-Apple foldable phones taking the market by storm? Doesn't seem like it. If Apple comes out with this foldable phone "late to the game", it certainly won't be a mid level offering, it'll be only at the top end, with the price making some sense, at least in Apple's pricing world.
Seems like a lot of years I’ve been waiting for the use cases. And a lot of years ago I presented my view of how Apple could bring two separate screens together seamlessly, but it would require a complex hinge mechanism with some sort of edge protector for each screen that steps out of the way at the last sub-millimeter as the phone unfolds and the two screen edges come into contact. That seems the only way to have the same hard surface display as iPhones have today, with no crease showing or forming over time. But what do I know, maybe there’s some miracle tech coming that will allow a hard surface display to fold exactly flat at the fold, like a piece of paper in the hands of an expert origamist. But what is the use case?
And here’s something to add to the story. I had colon cancer last year. Stage 3, bad stuff. Two major surgeries, one to remove a segment of my sigmoid colon and install a colostomy bag and another nine months later to take down the bag and reconnect my innards, plus six months of chemotherapy in between. This had me all day every day laying in bed with one or the other of my two iPhones in hand, watching YouTube or researching investments, etc. admittedly an extreme amount of time with phone in hand, but what if I wanted to lay in bed for just two hours doing a variety of tasks on my iPhone fold, watching video and running spreadsheets, etc, how would I hold this unfolded beast? I mean, I’d want it unfolded for such uses, wouldn’t I? Larger screen better for spreadsheet work and for videos, right? How does one hold an unfolded foldable smartphone for two hours while laying prone?
I remember when Apple would launch a product that would beat the competition on spec AND price. SuperDrive DVD burners in PowerMacs. iPod 5GB for little more than the bare drive which was so new, no one knew they existed.
Seems like a lot of years I’ve been waiting for the use cases. And a lot of years ago I presented my view of how Apple could bring two separate screens together seamlessly, but it would require a complex hinge mechanism with some sort of edge protector for each screen that steps out of the way at the last sub-millimeter as the phone unfolds and the two screen edges come into contact. That seems the only way to have the same hard surface display as iPhones have today, with no crease showing or forming over time. But what do I know, maybe there’s some miracle tech coming that will allow a hard surface display to fold exactly flat at the fold, like a piece of paper in the hands of an expert origamist. But what is the use case?
And here’s something to add to the story. I had colon cancer last year. Stage 3, bad stuff. Two major surgeries, one to remove a segment of my sigmoid colon and install a colostomy bag and another nine months later to take down the bag and reconnect my innards, plus six months of chemotherapy in between. This had me all day every day laying in bed with one or the other of my two iPhones in hand, watching YouTube or researching investments, etc. admittedly an extreme amount of time with phone in hand, but what if I wanted to lay in bed for just two hours doing a variety of tasks on my iPhone fold, watching video and running spreadsheets, etc, how would I hold this unfolded beast? I mean, I’d want it unfolded for such uses, wouldn’t I? Larger screen better for spreadsheet work and for videos, right? How does one hold an unfolded foldable smartphone for two hours while laying prone?
First off, I'm very sorry for what you've been through but hope things have stabilised to bring back quality of life.
Current folding phones are actually fairly light when compared with their slab format counterparts being a few grams heavier in many cases.
Obviously, any handheld device is going to be taxing for prolonged periods, and as you say, yours was an extreme situation for which a simple support would have been a perfect option. Many folding phones actually have cases in the box which include kickstands for things like watching video content or reading hands free.
For the situation you describe, a tablet/phone combo would have been the best option as you weren't on-the-go.
Folding phones are really for those that need to alternate between large and small screens without wanting to carry two seperate devices.
Anyway, good luck with the recovery process and checkups going forward.
At least we won't have to worry about the weight. To complement its "extremely high-tech display", and following on from recent Pros' use of titanium frames, the iFold is to use a new light-weight alloy of Unobtainium that actually has negative mass. You heard it here first.
Seems like a lot of years I’ve been waiting for the use cases. And a lot of years ago I presented my view of how Apple could bring two separate screens together seamlessly, but it would require a complex hinge mechanism with some sort of edge protector for each screen that steps out of the way at the last sub-millimeter as the phone unfolds and the two screen edges come into contact. That seems the only way to have the same hard surface display as iPhones have today, with no crease showing or forming over time. But what do I know, maybe there’s some miracle tech coming that will allow a hard surface display to fold exactly flat at the fold, like a piece of paper in the hands of an expert origamist. But what is the use case?
And here’s something to add to the story. I had colon cancer last year. Stage 3, bad stuff. Two major surgeries, one to remove a segment of my sigmoid colon and install a colostomy bag and another nine months later to take down the bag and reconnect my innards, plus six months of chemotherapy in between. This had me all day every day laying in bed with one or the other of my two iPhones in hand, watching YouTube or researching investments, etc. admittedly an extreme amount of time with phone in hand, but what if I wanted to lay in bed for just two hours doing a variety of tasks on my iPhone fold, watching video and running spreadsheets, etc, how would I hold this unfolded beast? I mean, I’d want it unfolded for such uses, wouldn’t I? Larger screen better for spreadsheet work and for videos, right? How does one hold an unfolded foldable smartphone for two hours while laying prone?
Very glad to hear that you've survived such a life changing health challenge and came out the other side still able to fight another day. I'm sure what you've experienced makes a lot of other challenges pale in comparison and realigns your priorities and perspective about life in general.
I agree with you that the number of use cases ideally suited for a folding phone are limited. I don't know what kind of market share the current crop of taco phones are getting, but from their rarity in public I'd say it's relatively small. This begs the question, why invest all that R&D in a limited market product? We've seen Apple do these kinds of limited/exclusive market products before. I doubt these products have as large of an impact on Apple's bottom line numbers as what they get from the rest of their product line. At some level it's a showcase for Apple to demonstrate that they are capable of pushing the envelope as far as they can. However, in some cases Apple is able to capture some innovations in technology, fabrication, materials, manufacturing, miniaturization, etc., that they can eventually apply to their more affordable but still far from commodity products.
The one thing that seems like a major compromise in most folding phones is the need for a third screen so the phone is usable in some way when folded. To me this makes all folding phones a case of taking two steps forward, by virtue of presenting a larger primary viewing area, and then one step backwards because you need a third auxiliary screen. If someone can come up with a double-sided screen that is set into a clear chassis, with smarts to display on one side when open and the other side when closed, the third screen issue may go away. But I'm sure the cost and complexity of such a screen would make adding a third screen a better option.
It almost sounds like an iPad mini would have been another option for you, or an even larger iPad/iPad Pro mounted on an articulated, movable arm, that is, if you have a solid mounting point.
I hope your future is looking much brighter than what you've already had to contend with over the past couple of years. Good luck on your recovery.
Seems like a lot of years I’ve been waiting for the use cases. And a lot of years ago I presented my view of how Apple could bring two separate screens together seamlessly, but it would require a complex hinge mechanism with some sort of edge protector for each screen that steps out of the way at the last sub-millimeter as the phone unfolds and the two screen edges come into contact. That seems the only way to have the same hard surface display as iPhones have today, with no crease showing or forming over time. But what do I know, maybe there’s some miracle tech coming that will allow a hard surface display to fold exactly flat at the fold, like a piece of paper in the hands of an expert origamist. But what is the use case?
And here’s something to add to the story. I had colon cancer last year. Stage 3, bad stuff. Two major surgeries, one to remove a segment of my sigmoid colon and install a colostomy bag and another nine months later to take down the bag and reconnect my innards, plus six months of chemotherapy in between. This had me all day every day laying in bed with one or the other of my two iPhones in hand, watching YouTube or researching investments, etc. admittedly an extreme amount of time with phone in hand, but what if I wanted to lay in bed for just two hours doing a variety of tasks on my iPhone fold, watching video and running spreadsheets, etc, how would I hold this unfolded beast? I mean, I’d want it unfolded for such uses, wouldn’t I? Larger screen better for spreadsheet work and for videos, right? How does one hold an unfolded foldable smartphone for two hours while laying prone?
Very glad to hear that you've survived such a life changing health challenge and came out the other side still able to fight another day. I'm sure what you've experienced makes a lot of other challenges pale in comparison and realigns your priorities and perspective about life in general.
I agree with you that the number of use cases ideally suited for a folding phone are limited. I don't know what kind of market share the current crop of taco phones are getting, but from their rarity in public I'd say it's relatively small. This begs the question, why invest all that R&D in a limited market product? We've seen Apple do these kinds of limited/exclusive market products before. I doubt these products have as large of an impact on Apple's bottom line numbers as what they get from the rest of their product line. At some level it's a showcase for Apple to demonstrate that they are capable of pushing the envelope as far as they can. However, in some cases Apple is able to capture some innovations in technology, fabrication, materials, manufacturing, miniaturization, etc., that they can eventually apply to their more affordable but still far from commodity products.
The one thing that seems like a major compromise in most folding phones is the need for a third screen so the phone is usable in some way when folded. To me this makes all folding phones a case of taking two steps forward, by virtue of presenting a larger primary viewing area, and then one step backwards because you need a third auxiliary screen. If someone can come up with a double-sided screen that is set into a clear chassis, with smarts to display on one side when open and the other side when closed, the third screen issue may go away. But I'm sure the cost and complexity of such a screen would make adding a third screen a better option.
It almost sounds like an iPad mini would have been another option for you, or an even larger iPad/iPad Pro mounted on an articulated, movable arm, that is, if you have a solid mounting point.
I hope your future is looking much brighter than what you've already had to contend with over the past couple of years. Good luck on your recovery.
Just on the bolded part - If I remember correctly, Huawei launched its first foldable with display being the user facing side in the folded state. With this setup, there was no need for another display to be added to the device in the folded state. Later they tried the inward folding option with 2 displays as well. 5 years on, that experimentation with outward folding phone has been abandoned in favor of foldables with 2 displays (inner and outer displays for unfolded and folded states). Even the Flip phones launched by Android OEMs so far have a smallish cover screen. So this must have been based on user feedback on both the approaches.
However, Huawei has very recently announced a tri-fold device which is pretty close to the cost of AVP. And this doesn't need another display to be added to the device. So the experimentation with the form factor is still on actually.
If so it will receive the same criticism and fate as the VisionPro.
If you mean because it won't sell as many copies as any other iPhone being by design a niche product for those who can afford it and can use it,thus receiving undeserved criticism, you're spot on.
Just like everything else people will pay it for status, to feel special, to be different etc.
Just like everything else there will be those who can't pull their head out to see that there'll be those who will appreciate the extra real estate and compactness and not have to rely on an iPad mini. The price of admission will be steep just like the first generation of everything else. Those with the cranial rectal inversion will insist that status is the only reason anyone would pay that kind of dosh. That's a limitation on their part. So some customers who could use one will go without until if and when the price comes down.
I find the concept really interesting but I won't be in line on Day One like I was for the iPhone. There was also the same diatribe about it when announced. Too expensive. Status seekers only... Some people are really slow. But that's their problem.
I remember when Apple would launch a product that would beat the competition on spec AND price. SuperDrive DVD burners in PowerMacs. iPod 5GB for little more than the bare drive which was so new, no one knew they existed.
What others?
The iMac 27" 5K. You got an incredible 5K display and computer came with it. Not anymore. Now it is a 5K display, overpriced, with leftover iPhone 11 parts in it. Their fantasy HomePad will be a small iPad grafted onto a speaker with outdated chips running it, and be overpriced as well.
Apple has lost touch with reality. VP is a failure at $3500, and if they make a foldable phone over $2,000, no one will be buying it. The displays are prone for failure or a crease line after you constantly fold and unfold it every single day, multiple times a day. It doesn't really solve a problem, just like VP doesn't solve a problem. Why would anyone want something thicker folded up in their pocket?
Comments
And here’s something to add to the story. I had colon cancer last year. Stage 3, bad stuff. Two major surgeries, one to remove a segment of my sigmoid colon and install a colostomy bag and another nine months later to take down the bag and reconnect my innards, plus six months of chemotherapy in between. This had me all day every day laying in bed with one or the other of my two iPhones in hand, watching YouTube or researching investments, etc. admittedly an extreme amount of time with phone in hand, but what if I wanted to lay in bed for just two hours doing a variety of tasks on my iPhone fold, watching video and running spreadsheets, etc, how would I hold this unfolded beast? I mean, I’d want it unfolded for such uses, wouldn’t I? Larger screen better for spreadsheet work and for videos, right? How does one hold an unfolded foldable smartphone for two hours while laying prone?
Current folding phones are actually fairly light when compared with their slab format counterparts being a few grams heavier in many cases.
Obviously, any handheld device is going to be taxing for prolonged periods, and as you say, yours was an extreme situation for which a simple support would have been a perfect option. Many folding phones actually have cases in the box which include kickstands for things like watching video content or reading hands free.
For the situation you describe, a tablet/phone combo would have been the best option as you weren't on-the-go.
Folding phones are really for those that need to alternate between large and small screens without wanting to carry two seperate devices.
Anyway, good luck with the recovery process and checkups going forward.
I agree with you that the number of use cases ideally suited for a folding phone are limited. I don't know what kind of market share the current crop of taco phones are getting, but from their rarity in public I'd say it's relatively small. This begs the question, why invest all that R&D in a limited market product? We've seen Apple do these kinds of limited/exclusive market products before. I doubt these products have as large of an impact on Apple's bottom line numbers as what they get from the rest of their product line. At some level it's a showcase for Apple to demonstrate that they are capable of pushing the envelope as far as they can. However, in some cases Apple is able to capture some innovations in technology, fabrication, materials, manufacturing, miniaturization, etc., that they can eventually apply to their more affordable but still far from commodity products.
The one thing that seems like a major compromise in most folding phones is the need for a third screen so the phone is usable in some way when folded. To me this makes all folding phones a case of taking two steps forward, by virtue of presenting a larger primary viewing area, and then one step backwards because you need a third auxiliary screen. If someone can come up with a double-sided screen that is set into a clear chassis, with smarts to display on one side when open and the other side when closed, the third screen issue may go away. But I'm sure the cost and complexity of such a screen would make adding a third screen a better option.
It almost sounds like an iPad mini would have been another option for you, or an even larger iPad/iPad Pro mounted on an articulated, movable arm, that is, if you have a solid mounting point.
I hope your future is looking much brighter than what you've already had to contend with over the past couple of years. Good luck on your recovery.
However, Huawei has very recently announced a tri-fold device which is pretty close to the cost of AVP. And this doesn't need another display to be added to the device. So the experimentation with the form factor is still on actually.
Just like everything else there will be those who can't pull their head out to see that there'll be those who will appreciate the extra real estate and compactness and not have to rely on an iPad mini. The price of admission will be steep just like the first generation of everything else. Those with the cranial rectal inversion will insist that status is the only reason anyone would pay that kind of dosh. That's a limitation on their part. So some customers who could use one will go without until if and when the price comes down.
I find the concept really interesting but I won't be in line on Day One like I was for the iPhone. There was also the same diatribe about it when announced. Too expensive. Status seekers only... Some people are really slow. But that's their problem.
Apple has lost touch with reality. VP is a failure at $3500, and if they make a foldable phone over $2,000, no one will be buying it. The displays are prone for failure or a crease line after you constantly fold and unfold it every single day, multiple times a day. It doesn't really solve a problem, just like VP doesn't solve a problem. Why would anyone want something thicker folded up in their pocket?