MplsP

Fred257 said:

You can get this feature on 30 dollar smartwatches from China. Not sure why this still stands..

Well, intellectual property rights and patent enforcement are nonexistent in China, so that would explain why it's available there.

avon b7 said:

macxpress said:

MplsP said:

A coworker has a folding Android phone (I think it’s a Samsung.) It seems nice for the times you have your phone and need something closer to an iPad mini, but there is a very visible bump/crease in the middle where it folds and the screen did seem to be having some issues along the edges. If you’re watching a movie, the aspect ratio doesn’t really work or help you and you end up with a crease down the middle of the image so it’s really no good for that. The form factor also means you can’t have much of a case or a case with a kickstand so in some ways it’s a bit limiting.

For iPads, many of the same limitations apply, only more so. You’re not trying to fit an iPad in your pocket so they don’t have the size constraints that a smart phone has, and iPads are designed to do more work using the entire screen, so having a crease in the middle is even more of an issue. 

Overall, from what I’ve seen I’d take a standard smartphone and skip the folding screen and i can’t really see the use for a folding iPad. 

This is exactly the issue with folding phones (even iPads for that matter). There's minimal value and far too many tradeoffs. I doubt Apple would ever release something with a crease down the center of the screen. Android users don't care about stuff like that. They'll buy nearly anything if it sounds cool and then act like their product is better because it was first to the market so it's "cutting edge" and Apple is always years behind! 

Plus there's only so many folds it can do before it breaks and I wouldn't be surprised if some even broke prematurely. 

Yet the rumours are constant and pointing to ever-increasing probability of a release in the relatively short term so I think Apple has decided to sign off on the product. 

The notch was a huge trade off for something that wasn't even strictly necessary. 

Glass fronts and backs have to be accepted even though there are great alternatives for backs that are far more durable. 

Folding phones, by nature, need extra care and that is a trade off. A hinge is a potential point of failure that slab phones don't have. But then slab phones can't double as mini tablets.

Anything mechanical will have a certain amount of actions before they break. Buttons, physical sliders, even ports
(insertion/removal). 

Modern folding phones are rated for years of use but the target audience at the high end probably renews the device with every hardware upgrade as they have lots of disposable income. 

I can see why that might appeal to Apple. Especially as they might be losing high income users through not having a competing offering. 

As for the crease, even the first foldable phones (with more visible creases) it was a non-issue. They were hardly noticeable in use. Very similar to the situation with the notch. 

I have to disagree with you on pretty much very point.

The notch was hardly a huge tradeoff and it gave increased security combined with convenience. I suppose you could say those weren't strictly necessary but the majority would disagree with you. I have touchID on my laptop and iPad and FaceID on my phone and FaceID is orders of magnitude better. As for the tradeoff - it uses real estate on the screen that was essentially unused anyway so it really wasn't much of a tradeoff. It's a matter of perspective, but essentially it allowed use of the 'ears' on either side of the camera to extend the screen up.

Many iPhone users keep their phones for years. I'm in that camp. I have an iPhone 12 Pro that's 5 years old and still working perfectly. That's part of the reason I buy iPhones - because they're well made and last several years. I'd rather buy a quality product less frequently than continually replace cheap crap. Any mechanical feature of a device needs to be sturdy enough to last the life of the phone. Especially with a folding phone, if the hinge or screen wear out before the rest of the phone you've essentially compromised the lifespan of the device.

I can also say from personal experience, the crease is most definitely an issue and is clearly noticeable. It may be an acceptable compromise to some people for the novelty of a folding device but to dismiss it as insignificant is simply attempting to rationalize a design deficiency.

A coworker has a folding Android phone (I think it’s a Samsung.) It seems nice for the times you have your phone and need something closer to an iPad mini, but there is a very visible bump/crease in the middle where it folds and the screen did seem to be having some issues along the edges. If you’re watching a movie, the aspect ratio doesn’t really work or help you and you end up with a crease down the middle of the image so it’s really no good for that. The form factor also means you can’t have much of a case or a case with a kickstand so in some ways it’s a bit limiting.

For iPads, many of the same limitations apply, only more so. You’re not trying to fit an iPad in your pocket so they don’t have the size constraints that a smart phone has, and iPads are designed to do more work using the entire screen, so having a crease in the middle is even more of an issue. 

Apple should do like the phone companies do on their bills - specifically itemize the amount we are paying due to tariffs so it's clear how much this administration is screwing us over.

New Vietnam trade deal means Apple American consumers will pay at least five times more in tariffs.

Fixed the title.