I can see an advantage to having an expanded virtual keyboard, but other than that?
There is an advantage to an expanded anything.
That's why large screen regular phones are so popular.
Obviously, as with everything, there is a cut off point where being bigger/faster does not offer much more (TV screens, refresh rates, speed in general...) but there are plenty of times where regular phones feel cramped.
That's when folding out to a larger screen makes a difference.
It could be ebook reading, photo/video viewing/retouching, gaming, multitasking, typing...
The advantage is having both a small and large dorm factor at your disposal at all times.
Ver Unlikely. It’s a gimmick and pron for damage but add zero or little benefit...
The benefit follows the principle of greater functionality with a smaller size for transporting. Isn't that the basic idea of a cell phone in the first place?
Watch. The moment this folding iPhone is out, Samsung will release ultra folding origami phone.
Just FYI - Samsung has already launched 3 generations of folding phones. By time Apple comes out with their own version of folding phone (assuming late 2023 at the earliest), Samsung would be on 5th generation of foldable phones.
And how many versions of their Blackberry knockoff phone (the BlackJack) did they make before the iPhone appeared?
It's good that they're iterating, but if you're following the wrong path you won't get where you need to be no matter how much effort you put into travelling.
Apple has its Handoff technology and its Continuity technology - both software tools that allow you to take what you're doing on one device and either push it to another or extend it to another. Want a bigger screen for your iPhone? Use Continuity to bring an iPad into the mix - maybe with time an Apple Studio Display if you're at a desk and your desk computer is not turned on.
I see zero reason for Apple to change the hardware side of things. The encumbrance of the larger screens is a problem in some use cases (I don't want to bring a bag with me but I want the option of a larger screen anyway), so there's some demand there, but I don't think it's high enough for Apple to justify anything other than research and experimentation.
There is speculation that AR/VR headsets will be able to provide a much larger perceived viewing area with physically smaller displays. If that's true, why would you waste time on foldable screens - they're a distraction from working on a more widely useable technology with a longer lifespan.
Apple has its Handoff technology and its Continuity technology - both software tools that allow you to take what you're doing on one device and either push it to another or extend it to another. Want a bigger screen for your iPhone? Use Continuity to bring an iPad into the mix - maybe with time an Apple Studio Display if you're at a desk and your desk computer is not turned on.
I see zero reason for Apple to change the hardware side of things. The encumbrance of the larger screens is a problem in some use cases (I don't want to bring a bag with me but I want the option of a larger screen anyway), so there's some demand there, but I don't think it's high enough for Apple to justify anything other than research and experimentation.
There is speculation that AR/VR headsets will be able to provide a much larger perceived viewing area with physically smaller displays. If that's true, why would you waste time on foldable screens - they're a distraction from working on a more widely useable technology with a longer lifespan.
Obviously the market will have the last word and glasses/lenses of some kind may be the definitive answer in the long term but that solution isn't available today.
Folding phones are available today, and as prices come down, uptake will probably increase along with the features of the phones themselves.
Handoff and Continuity are great, if limited options, and their purpose is more 'collaborative' than anything else. They don't solve anything other aspect.
As you point out in your second paragraph, the big selling point of a folding phone is not having to push anything to another device in the first place. Mobility is the key and the more you tout around, the less mobile you become. A folding phone user is not the type who will be carrying around a separate tablet with them.
As a glasses wearer in a very sunny country, a glasses based solution would definitely be my preferred option. No screen, no matter how good, is comfortable to read in bright sunlight and glasses could cover audio needs too.
In the meantime though, folding/scrolling phones are where things are going.
I suspect folding phones are a fad. I suspect the next revolution is your iPhone connected with a pair of AR glasses that look just like regular glasses obviously with AR built in. With Gesture control.
This foldable stuff feels like 3D TV. It came and went. I tried mine once. Didn't see a reason. But at least I bought a nice TV.
As I already mentioned, you have to read my comment in context - it was a response to @ravnorodom who claimed the Samsung would follow Apple's lead on the foldable phones, which is an extremely ridiculous claim to make.
And you seem to be one among the many in this forum who do not get why a foldable form factor is a useful one. It will change in the next couple of years. The technology has moved forward fairly well in the last couple of years. The recently launched Oppo Find N seems to be the best of the lot in terms of footprint/design. Foldable phones will become mainstream by 2024/2025.
More wishful thinking than a prediction. It's a solution in search of a problem.
As I already mentioned, you have to read my comment in context - it was a response to @ravnorodom who claimed the Samsung would follow Apple's lead on the foldable phones, which is an extremely ridiculous claim to make.
And you seem to be one among the many in this forum who do not get why a foldable form factor is a useful one. It will change in the next couple of years. The technology has moved forward fairly well in the last couple of years. The recently launched Oppo Find N seems to be the best of the lot in terms of footprint/design. Foldable phones will become mainstream by 2024/2025.
More wishful thinking than a prediction. It's a solution in search of a problem.
They are a solution to an existing problem.
How to double screen size while retaining portability in a small form factor.
Case in point. My wife has a small tablet. It does not have cellular capability and is too big a heavy to carry sound in her bag. She also has sight problems which means she has to use accessibility settings on iOS to enlarge everything on screen. It's a kludge as on a regular phone (iPhone XR in this case), interface elements get thrown out of whack with some elements in apps even not showing or becoming, and this is ironic, Inaccessibile.
The larger screen option of a foldable would absolutely remedy all her problems without sacrificing a smaller size option where necessary (simple apps, short messages, calls etc) and portability.
Even non impaired people would benefit greatly from a larger screen that isn't 'always on' as it were.
Photo/video edition and viewing, split screen, reading, gaming etc.
Comments
That's why large screen regular phones are so popular.
Obviously, as with everything, there is a cut off point where being bigger/faster does not offer much more (TV screens, refresh rates, speed in general...) but there are plenty of times where regular phones feel cramped.
That's when folding out to a larger screen makes a difference.
It could be ebook reading, photo/video viewing/retouching, gaming, multitasking, typing...
The advantage is having both a small and large dorm factor at your disposal at all times.
And how many versions of their Blackberry knockoff phone (the BlackJack) did they make before the iPhone appeared?
It's good that they're iterating, but if you're following the wrong path you won't get where you need to be no matter how much effort you put into travelling.
I see zero reason for Apple to change the hardware side of things. The encumbrance of the larger screens is a problem in some use cases (I don't want to bring a bag with me but I want the option of a larger screen anyway), so there's some demand there, but I don't think it's high enough for Apple to justify anything other than research and experimentation.
There is speculation that AR/VR headsets will be able to provide a much larger perceived viewing area with physically smaller displays. If that's true, why would you waste time on foldable screens - they're a distraction from working on a more widely useable technology with a longer lifespan.
Folding phones are available today, and as prices come down, uptake will probably increase along with the features of the phones themselves.
Handoff and Continuity are great, if limited options, and their purpose is more 'collaborative' than anything else. They don't solve anything other aspect.
As you point out in your second paragraph, the big selling point of a folding phone is not having to push anything to another device in the first place. Mobility is the key and the more you tout around, the less mobile you become. A folding phone user is not the type who will be carrying around a separate tablet with them.
As a glasses wearer in a very sunny country, a glasses based solution would definitely be my preferred option. No screen, no matter how good, is comfortable to read in bright sunlight and glasses could cover audio needs too.
In the meantime though, folding/scrolling phones are where things are going.
Hey Apple! Drop this turkey of an idea and concentrate on developing a heads-up virtual screen!
How to double screen size while retaining portability in a small form factor.
Case in point. My wife has a small tablet. It does not have cellular capability and is too big a heavy to carry sound in her bag. She also has sight problems which means she has to use accessibility settings on iOS to enlarge everything on screen. It's a kludge as on a regular phone (iPhone XR in this case), interface elements get thrown out of whack with some elements in apps even not showing or becoming, and this is ironic, Inaccessibile.
The larger screen option of a foldable would absolutely remedy all her problems without sacrificing a smaller size option where necessary (simple apps, short messages, calls etc) and portability.
Even non impaired people would benefit greatly from a larger screen that isn't 'always on' as it were.
Photo/video edition and viewing, split screen, reading, gaming etc.