All Of Apple’s Foldable iPhone Prototypes Have Visible Creases
German renowned institute "Stiftung Warentest" just tested two foldables (both Samsung I think) and had them 50.000 times folded and unfolded (they build machines to torture test stuff) and reported no creases.
50.000 times is over four years for 32 uses every day (twice every wake hour). Would be more than sufficient for a normal user think.
Crease distortion occurs immediately, day 1, first fold, and it's a substantial distortion.... but does not necessarily get exponentially worse like normal fatiguing plastic, but instead just gets worse slowly.
Yeah it'll last 50k folds but the crease distortion is definitely there in person.
All Of Apple’s Foldable iPhone Prototypes Have Visible Creases
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I don't get the obsession over the crease, things that fold generally have creases. As long as it's not distorting things (which IME it doesn't and is hardly noticeable when in use anyways) it's fine
This is Apple; they value different things than most people… sometimes warranted, results in offering a much better experience, and pushes everything forward (see MagSafe -> Qi2 for recent example), other times they’re just regarded as late adopters. The detraction of visual aesthetics from folding crease is apparently one of such things that they care about.
I'm shocked that Apple didn't just make the crease more obvious and consider it a design element and advertise it as something the consumer wants.
We invented the crease.
I mean for all the things you can meme on Apple for, releasing products for the sake of releasing something isn’t something they’re known for. See Air Power.
For every AirPower there's a $999 ProStand. Apple is just a greedy company, like everyone else in tech. They are just more picky on the bullshit they sell, but they still sell bullshit.
I have a theory on those stands and stuff. It’s a marketing ploy as people will be talking about the absurdity of it and that’s free advertising for them.
Only Apple has the courage to give you a crease.
ICrease
That'll come out. Good thing I bough the optional $400 i...ron.
Yeah just like the notch and dynamic island. They even brought the notch to Macbooks since Apple thinks it makes their brand look more uniform.
And I hate every second of it on my work macbook. How one could think cutting out the middle from the space that has to house your applications menu(IntelliJs is huge for example) and your tray icons, which can be quite a lot too, and then not have a function to keep either of them from just disappearing behind that cutout is asinine.
No, this only hides it visually, you still run into the issue of content being hidden behind it. I now use bartender which allows me to at least put the tray icons in a dropdown that opens below the nodge.
But the fact this is necessary speaks volumes about Apples care for user experience
aesthethichs
Dynamic Valley
They are trying to make foldable iPhones because everyone else is making a foldable phone, but have they stopped and asked themselves if people want and need a foldable?
I have yet to see a real use case for something like a Samsung Z flip, and carrying a bulky Z fold phone in my pocket only to be able to have a tablet once in a while and watch a movie is not interesting enough.
Do I need a foldable phone? No. Do I like the idea of owning a phone that is actually small enough to be used with one hand and can fit anywhere? Yes. Besides, closing it to end a call is very cool.
The ones I have seen in stores are still too long to be used with one hand or fit comfortably into a pocket. My Pixel 7a is about the biggest I can use one-handed, and even then there is awkwardness.
Most Androids have a one-handed mode, where it shrinks the display into a corner, so you can reach everything with your thumb.
Wouldn't it be better to just, y'know, cut out the free space around it?
you mean having a small phone in the first place?
I miss small phones
exactly
Unfortunately a lot of hardware doesn't fit into small phones yet. You can still get small Androids, but no NFC, wireless charging, fingerprint sensor, etc..
I'm writing this on a Samsung S10e, which is the smallest waterproof one with all the nice features I could get at the time. I can do most things one-handed, but need the one-handed mode to reach the 30% of the screen in top corner furthest away from my thumb. pic related:
They wouldn't sell enough of them to justify making/promoting them.
I love big phones though. Smaller ones feel too claustrophobic to me
Also, from a usabity point of view, bigger screens are better for watching videos in landscape, editing text and it's easier to use the gestures and the keyboard (I don't even have fat fingers). I think only downside is ring and pinky fingers hurting after a while because of the weight
Yeah, iPhones have similar modes, swipe down and the screen scrolls down you can also swipe the keyboard to either side for better access too.
I hardly ever do that though, except by accident.
I had to go crawling back to Samsung because the pixel 9 is too large (and heavy) for me. I was using a pixel 5 before my screen died earlier this year :(.
Edit: to clarify I'm not using a foldable phone, I just have their S24 which is apparently the smallest phone on the market I could find these days that isn't out dated (Zenphone).
I only bought a Pixel because of GrapheneOS, and the "a" series is at least slightly smaller (plus plastic back instead of glass, that's something I am also happy about).
But yeah, I feel you :( I am not even small, I have average hands!
I actually find the Z Folds to be far better for one handed usability than regular phones since they're narrower. Honestly wished Samsung didn't make the newer ones wider. I liked the Fold 3's width. It was perfect for me.
The implication is that when closed you can use them one handed
Those are probably the Samshits and I too avoided them because they're too damn long (And their user hostility lol), the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is what you want, folded it's almost as big as the 7as screen (6.3 to 6.1 on the 7a)
First - 6.3 usually means already over the edge of comfortable, 7a is already almost too much. Second - thickness adds to it when it's in your hand. And third - why would I spend huge money (doesn't seem like it would decrease in price with generations as much as a normal phone, it might be EOL when it becomes affordable) on something that breaks more easily and is still bigger?
I don't personally feel much of a difference in .2 inches of screen, but if 6.1 is your absolute limit, then the Pixel Fold 1 might be your perfect fit with a 5.8 "short and stocky" outer screen
Though I don't think it's being sold new anymore, but it looks like eBay has some good condition/refurb models going for ~<800-1k, Google has stated all Pixels will get 6 or 7 years of updates.
Sure, you can buy one to never unfold. But you'd be getting a thick, expensive AF phone for no reason, lol
? I don't understand your comment, was it meant for a reply for a different comment?
About a foldable phone being a "perfect fit" if only the outer screen is, in addition to being far more expensive than a normal phone.
I have a Z flip and while it's far from perfect, foldable flip phones are great and I'd choose them over a same-spec regular phone every day. Much more convenient to carry in my pocket compared to a slab and basically having an included tripod for photos is pretty nice as well.
My z flip is hands down my favorite phone I've ever owned and I didn't get it expecting to like it much. I just needed a new phone and with Samsung's recycling program, my old near-tablet sized phone made the switch like barely 100 bucks.
There are a lot of small advantages it provides that quickly add up to it being an overall superior experience. Now if only Bixby wasn't the worst fucking thing ever.
I want a foldable phone.
Phones have become larger abd flatter over the years, and they're just uncomfortable to have in my pocket. A foldable phone will solve this issue.
I didn't buy one yet due to not believing the tech is there yet. Screens are very scratchable and the battery life is poor.
I love my flip 6. I had a flip 5 which I abused with no case on it. Got a deal to trade it in broken as fuck for a 6 straight up. I would hate to go back to a regular phone. They are better in every way and the crease isn't even noticeable after using the phone for a couple days.
I want a flip phone.
I still think the Game boy Advance SP's design was peak. Lightweight, compact, and very distinct. It looked sleek enough to not look like a toy, where I was using it in the office and nobody would bat an eye.
Give me that with a phone. Im not interested in being a first buyer or spending money for that novelty. But id happily use a foldable the moment they become as reliable as these tablet phones.
The form factor is just really great for a pocketable device, and being able to close a GBA SP really feels satisfying to put away. Same with the (larger) DS.
Personally I'd like a fingerprint reader notch on the back of a Z-fold style phone. Not a fan of the "in-screen" style. Tbh i probably should just not use biometrics unlocking to begin with.
Cops in the US can (legally) make you unlock your phone if it's biometrics-locked. Something to think about.
Exactly what I was thinking about.
The Z Fold places it's fingerprint reader on the side power button which isn't quite the same as the back but it's a lot closer than the screen based fingerprint readers.
Jacksfilms even made a joke about the DS Lite when the first Galaxy Z Flip came out. Just thought I'd mention that.
My wife loves her flip. I personally don't like them, yes there is crease right where it folds and over time it will make your phone stop working. We just replaced hers after months of her dealing with the phone glitching. But she does enjoy it and requested getting another flip phone.
We just replaced hers after months of her dealing with the phone glitching. But she does enjoy it and requested getting another flip phone.
Does not compute. My wife had her Flip 3 replaced two times, and now she bought a Fairphone. Unfortunately they seem to be unreliable, the phone was quite nice otherwise.
Honestly a foldable smartphone should be 2 touchscreens with a hinge if there’s at all any risk of a bendy screen breaking more easily or otherwise being inferior to that.
That's what the surface duo was. I still have my OG, and other than being fragile because its literally 2mm thicker than a USBC port on each half, its the perfect e-reader. Sadly for video consumption its not great with the boundary, but you can use it in a propped up mode which I much prefer.
Its a great phone, but certainly not without comprises, just like any folding phone.
carrying a bulky Z fold phone in my pocket only to be able to have a tablet once in a while and watch a movie is not interesting enough.
It suits my needs perfectly though! You can take my folding phone out of my cold dead hands
My wife loves her flip. She just upgraded from the 4 to the 6 and the creaae is barely visible when in use
She uses it a lot for videocalls and she folds it to use it as a tripod, and also being able to use the good camera to take selfies is a great use case
She also loves that it fits on most of her pants when folded, usually women's pants have very small pockets.
That phone is not for me, but I can definitely attest to real use cases
I want a flip design. Or women’s clothing with pockets large enough to fit my current phone. Whichever is easier. Seems to be the folding phone at this point.
Back before smart phones I always preferred flip phones over "candy bars", the flip phone helps to protect the delicate screen and buttons while the phone is in your pocket/purse. You don't really need a case for a flip phone.
Modern smart phones tend to be more delicate than they should be across the board, but in theory, a flip phone puts the more delicate parts in a safer place.
I agree the Flip and kiln are utterly pointless, just a big ol nostalgic rip imo.
But book styles like Fold are pretty great, being able to go from phone to tablet whenever has been amazing! My Pixel 9 pro fold is my most used tablet ever, I've had a lot of tablets over the years and they all end up collecting dust in no time because they suffer from a fatal flaw. They're never near me when I need/want a tablet the most.
I would have considered a folding book-style phone if I wanted a tablet. I agree that they're likely the only viable use case that isn't a complete gimmick.
I just got my pro fold, I haven't used it that much as a tablet to be honest. It is nice to do when I need it.
Did you get the Google insurance thing that's quite pricey with it? I have a few days to get it.
I just got my pro fold, I haven't used it that much as a tablet to be honest. It is nice to do when I need it.
That's the beauty of the "not tall as fuck" (cough Samsuck cough) ones, you don't feel forced to use it so you'll use it more when you actually want to lol
Did you get the Google insurance thing that's quite pricey with it? I have a few days to get it.
I bought through my carrier and have their insurance, folds on my carriers thing has a deductible of $250. I'd look at your carriers offerings if they have any and go with whoever has the cheapest deductible
But in general, I always got the phone insurance even when it wasn't an 1800$ foldy phone lol
I’d take a foldable over the current slabs any day of the week
Why? What does it bring you? I’m genuinely curious
Smaller overall size of the phone. If the folded thickness is less than a double of the current slabs, and the unfolded size is bigger than them, doesn’t it make sense to you?
With the “current” technology, we could make phones that have 9” screens and insane battery life (The ratio of screen power usage and battery density isn’t 1:1. Think tablets and their insanely good battery life) but it would be impractical, but if you fold them, you get that exact thing.
No because it’s ugly. The fold is noticeable in the Samsung version as well. Very easy to tell the screen isn’t glass and that is bothersome when watching videos.
True, but why shouldn’t we have more options?
The phone is drastically smaller than most slab phones these days. So it's very easy to use with one hand. Then when it's unfolded, the large inner screen is amazing for viewing photos, reading ebooks, comics and reading Reddit/websites.
The use case is people who want pocketable, one handed phones. It doesn’t matter to me if they make another iPhone mini or an iPhone flip. Whichever one they release will be my next phone.
The last iPhone mini release was in 2021. I don’t want a near 7” pro max phone. 6.4” is too big in my opinion as well.
I watch movies and read on my samsung fold and I enjoy it a lot
I kind of want a flip phone for the compact size when folded so it will fit more easily into my tiny pockets. But I don't want a phone with a screen that likely need regular (and expensive) replacements if I want to keep using it long past the 2 year contract window like I do with most phones.
Note: the latest pixel fold is about the same size and weight as the pixel 9 pro.
It's actually kinda incredible that it is that light and thin while folding.
I've got one on the way Best Buy screwed up the pre-order and didn't get enough stock in so I'm left waiting. But yea seems like by all accounts it's roughly the size of a regular phone plus you get a small tablet when you want.
The battery life is definitely worse because of it but it doesn't bother me much
Nintendo DS emulation. That's about the one novelty use case.
If I were on the verge of running a monopoly, I'd be spending my money on making anything that the competition is making, along with my usual product. Because if you let them run with it and it turns out to be the next big thing, you've just shot yourself in the leg. Microsoft is no longer just an OS maker. Google is no longer just a search engine company. Amazon is no longer a bookstore.
Diversify your assets.
they stopped and asked themselves if people want and need a foldable?
Who wants a thin phone with a large screen? Nobody.
Meanwhile I want a tablet with phone call support. (Samsung Tabs with LTE/5G are carrier locked)
I know a few people with foldables. They enjoy them, but I don't really have a need.
I could allow that some people would rather carry a thicker but shorter object in their pocket than a thinner one with larger surface area. But I can’t think of much more than that. It bugs me that all foldable now ALSO have a miniature screen on the outside. Like they immediately admit that their primary feature is a nonstarter and add bulk to the phone when bulk is a primary issue with foldables.
Do people need foldables? Absolutely not, but I love mine. I went with the OnePlus Open mainly for the cameras, and the bigger screen is great for reviewing or sharing the photos with someone. Having two apps side by side is really nice but I don't really use that feature that often.
I think the bigger thing is having a screen that faces away from the main viewing side. Showing a live camera view or translating speech into text from another language are two good, but rare, use cases. I think what it really comes down to is how much do you use your phone and for what purpose?
Thanks for the insight! That’s not something I thought about
Most folds show movies at the same size as regular, non folding phones. That's not a valid use case unless you're streaming a 4:3 ratio video from the 30s.
My biggest concern is durability. I keep my phones for a long time (5-6 years). I have serious concerns that folding phones wont hold up. Especially considering that they oldest amongst them are only just now reaching the age of my last phone that was a champ up until I retired it.
There have been plenty of fads over the lifespan of the smartphone market. E.g. curved edge screens. I think curved screens are another and Apple is right to ignore it. There's too many compromises required for a foldable and not much benefit to be worth it.
My personal theory for the curved edges is, that samsung just wanted to prevent cheap off brand replacement screens.
Mine is that they wanted it to stand out, compared to all the other phones with flat screens at the time, especially with all the design clones.
You would look at it and go "oh that phone looks funny, must be a Samsung".
This is what it was when they introduced it. I used to work for an Android OEM at the time and the product people really wanted to get their hands on curved screens for the same reason. Eventually they got Samsung to sell them some but it wasn't as curved as the ones Samsung used on their devices to keep differentiation. It still cost twice what flat screens which ate a significant chunk of the profit margin.
I think part of the reason was to look good in stores. If you have a non curved and curved phone next to each other playing the demo video, the curved looks waaay more futurostic.
The curved edges were the precursor tech to having a foldable screen. No matter what is said about the Apple vs. Samsung debate, Samsung is still the one responsible for the praises on Apple's screens. They have tried with other manufacturers and providers but can't escape the fact that Samsung is still the major leader on displays as they dump a shit ton of money on R&D on all LED screen technologies, specially manufacturing at scale. If you want high end screens, you just go with Samsung, period. The alternatives are constantly playing catch up with them and they are actually experimenting and trying to come up with new and original stuff. LG and Sharp are also really good, but their screens aren't as premium as Apple wants them to be, though they are more affordable.
Foldable at least has theoretical benefit, curved screens on a phone are fucking terrible
What I don’t understand is why nobody makes a foldable phone where it’s just two flat screens with an invisible bezel along one edge so they fit seamlessly together when fully opened.
It’s not like there’s a use case where you operate the phone half unfolded and require both halves of the screen to be seamlessly connected.
If the flexing feature wasn’t a gimmick and there was an actual use case for a foldable pocket iPad, someone would have released a phone like the Kyocera Echo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyocera_Echo to commercial success.
not invisible, but the Surface Duo line was pretty much that.
Microsoft had a dual screen foldable like that, then stopped supporting it
Is "invisible bezel with actual screen below" possible?
I'm sure there are a half-dozen ways you could at least fake it. Like if the bezel can be made clear and they overlap somewhat.
Since it’s not been brought to market, I’ll assume there isn’t a way with its money’s worth. At most you have the Microsoft thing with a thin hinge.
I mean, it's a really slick gimmick. I think having a bendy screen is cooler than two screens even if it's more expensive/difficult to manufacture and doesn't provide any real benefit.
Exactly. And it wouldn’t have to be double wide since some components could be pushed to the other size. I’m fine with it just being like two apps open and not even one big one. Multitasking.
I guess what we really need is a phone case that has hinges and we can just buy two phones!
Interesting idea. Bezels have been made pretty thin and there have been curved display edges, but I don’t know if anyone’s ever tried a one-side zero-bezel design that you could hinge together. Bezels in the other sides are fine, but could we create a flush edge with no gap to click two screens against each other?
The first time anything got caught in the gap, it would probably shatter the screens. I do like it better than the crease though
I was actually thinking of hinging it the other way, having the screens fold to the outside.
Hey! What did you just say about the Nexus 4?
I have a foldable phone that also has a very slightly curved front screen (Honor Magic V2). It's perfect. You can barely see the curve, no weird reflections, it just feels very good in the hand, there are no sharp edges at all. Feels very smooth and nice to hold and use.
I’d tolerate a crease to have an ipad on my pocket
I have an iPad mini and enormous pockets. I'm living the dream.
Skirts with pockets= world peace, prolly
From what we know, the folding iPhone will be a flip style foldable. So, just a regular size phone, it won't be huge when unfolded.
Sad. My pocket would like a flat big phone rather than a cube shaped phone
My flip 6 is less than an inch wide folded with a case on it
I genuinely cannot decide whether your comment is a flex or a complaint.
Only Apple product I care about. God, the Android tablet market is so shit. I miss the Nexus line 😞
no stock Android on Tablets is really bad.
If you want an iPad in your pocket just buy a Pro Max.
Which isn't even close to an iPad in size, not even the iPad mini in terms of actual screen real estate.
I'd use the mini if they'd just let me lol.
You mean as a phone? Its modem only does data, yeah.
Yeah. And no phone app.
But that's my preferred size for sure. I probably won't bother with a max the next time I get a phone, just because it still isn't actually big enough for me to justify the price difference.
Kind of relatable. I go with the smaller sizes (regular Pro) as the Max is too large for my relatively small hands to use one-handed but at the same time it's not large enough to enhance what I can do with the device.
So what I do is I always have my phone with me and optionally I take my 11" iPad Pro with me, although I'm hoping they'll release a new iPad mini in October as I'd like something a bit more portable (and I also want the variant with mobile data, while my 11" Pro is Wi-Fi only).
I have a Boox go color 7 that I have in my pocket a lot. I made a little leather sleeve for it and am frequently tempted to add a couple pockets to the flap and make it my permanent "wallet". It's better for reading, anyways, but there's a lot of software I use that's only on iOS without an acceptable Android substitute, and it's also not a phone. (I'd also be perfectly happy with the watch as my "phone" and to carry two small tablets).
But you just can't fit much on a phone screen.
iPhone Pro Max screen area: 115.6cm²
iPad Air 11" screen area: 357.6cm²
iPad Air 13" screen area: 519.3cm²
An iPad has between 3 and 4.5 times the screen space than the largest iPhone.
The pro max is too small.
I'm pretty perfectionist about some things, but I honestly forget all of the time about this little crease in my phone. I thought I might give a shit before I bought a Motorola Razr last year, and now I often forget that it's a foldable. Imagine if you will, a phone that actually fucking fits in your jean pockets...it's worth the little (often invisible) crease.
Imagine if you will, a phone that actually fucking fits in your jean pockets
Size issue. My jean pockets can fit a whole tablet.
I am indeed a short shit.
Had a manager that somewhat creepily checked for people's phones, the look on her face when I pulled an entire box of cereal from my pocket they couldn't see was pretty good.
I know you probably mean one of those serving-sized cereal boxes, but the mental image of you pulling out a family-sized box of cereal from some portal-to-Narnia pocket in your pants is fucking hilarious to me.
I mean not the family size, but yes a full on box of cereal.
I liked my jumbo iPhone for a while but it was too long to fit comfortably in my pocket. Making it foldable wouldn’t help though, because the main reason I got rid of it was I kept dropping it. Too big to use with one hand.
My pockets' capacity is determined by the thickness of what I'm shoving in there, not the height. A folding phone is the worst possible thing as it doubles the thickness at the expense of height.
Yeah I'm not sure for everyone but it solved my problems with the phone being too big to fit in my pockets. It even works in like pajama pants for when I'm walking the dog. Before, the phone tended to be too long and flop out.
Whatever they do, when they release it the have to call it the iFold!
iMustProtest
They're all so desperate for an excuse to increase the price further, and I don't know anybody who wants this.
We're already at over 6 inch for phones. It's plenty big enough. If I want to see something on a bigger screen, I'll use a device with a bigger screen.
As someone who reads a lot on the go folding phones are AMAZING My eyes never felt so good and my pockets so light. That being said it broke after three months of use when I dropped it face first while closed. If they where more durable or repairable I’d definitely go back
I don't know anybody who wants this.
Just because you don't personally know them doesn't mean they don't exist. There's very obviously a large market for them or Samsung wouldn't be in the 5th generation with competition from Google, Huawei, OnePlus, etc.
The recent trifold phone prototype by some Chinese company was the only version that interested me. It actually expanded to true tablet size and the proportions and thickness while folded matched the standard phone proportions. That actually felt useful and I could get rid of my tablet, so I wouldn't mind the extra cost too much. The big issue obviously would be if it could have decent battery life, which I assume will be its critical flaw.
I want a slide out keyboard like on my G1.
Same. I'll never forget that thing...
Soon we'll have tablet sized phones that fold multiple times. lol
Apple is leaning into the criticism that all they do is copy Samsung tech. Nobody wants a folding iPhone.
I absolutely do. Look at the Huawei Trifold for an example. It’s overly expensive, and has issues, which is why I wouldn’t get it. But the concept is decent. A phone that unfolds into an incredibly thin tablet. What’s not to like?
I'd rather a simpler phone at this point. I don't think I've ever looked at my phone and felt that it's too small. I can think of other ways that I'd want phones to be more functional, like connecting to external peripherals and a monitor.
Lots of people are excited about folding phones too though, so more power to them if companies are willing to go that way.
I think that it’s for this reason that a folding phone will be better as an iPhone mini or regular model and not a folding ultra. In fact, I don’t know that they’ll bother with calling it anything. It would just be the iPhone fold for 1st gen and it’d probably be in an in between size of pro and regular.
It’s ugly and the fold is noticeable which is distracting when watching videos. Not to mention Huawei is banned in the US
I can't speak for that device in particular, but I've been using a Galaxy Fold for a few years now and the crease is literally nothing. In most cases, you're looking dead on at the phone and you can't see it. If you're outside it becomes slightly more noticeable, but the bright glare from the sun in general makes for more of a problem than the crease. I have no intention of going back to a non-folding device.
Also, Huawei is not banned from being purchased and used by consumers in the US lmao.
Also, Huawei is not banned from being purchased and used by consumers in the US lmao.
I mean sure but you're in for a hell of a ride if it breaks and you need support.
I do want one of those new flip phones. Since normal phones aren't getting any more portable, I'd rather have that than carrying around a brick. For me, the biggest problems with these at the moment are repairability, durability and price. Once those are solved, I will probably get one.
It's the iBump, it's a haptic invention gently letting you know you have passed to the other half of the screen. They also made it visible to give you a gentle cue as to where the middle is.
put this verbatim in the ads and the fanboys will praise it as innovation™
Like that time they made a giant hole in the screen and called it 'dynamic island' 😂
oh god that thing is so ugly
Fold the foil outside the hinge?
Not completely related to the foldable iphone(tho im sure it would slap because it would be a good execution of the idea) but its such a shame that apple has to be so bitchy with their software. If theyd just open up the software(or the eu forces them to) i would instantly buy one when custom os's are available. Imagine getting a linux iphone.
Why do you need an iPhone to get a Linux phone?
Similar to how you can buy a recently used MacBook Pro and install linux on it and have a fucking phenomenal device, that other person hopes the same could be done to their phones.
I didn't realize the hardware of an iPhone is superior to hardware of other flagship phones.
It's not necessarily the hardware, rather the build quality sometimes appeals to people (i.e. metal finishes, aesthetic, weight)
I dont need an iphone for that, but the(in my opinion) good hardware of the iphone with free software would be nice. Most linux phones are pretty crap but seeing what asahilinux is on arm macs i would have hope in iphone linux if the hardware was open. Of course its possible people would just port android which isnt the best result as android in my opinion is basically a worse, mostly proprietary version of linux.
Android still has F-droid and FOSS alternatives to mostly everything, while iPhone is walled garden 101.
And linux IS foss out of the box no need to use workarounds. Also you get better performance with stock linux most times.
Foldable phones look and work like shit. Not a shock that Apple wants nothing to do with a silly fad— not until it’s worth it for them.
I am on my second foldable phone, and on my fourth year using them. Not only does your statement is not true, you probably never even touched a single foldable.
Looks? Subjective. I personally love the form factor. Works like shit? In your dreams.
I know a few people at work that have foldables. Both are not going back and the crease really isnt noticeable.
One guy has the Google Pixel Fold. His kids share his phone to leave his wife's phone alone when they are watching something. It makes it easier to share with his kids because its a larger screen. When it was smaller they fought more because they couldn't all watch on a small screen. Hes reaping benefits too. Ive seen him have it open to watch NFL highlights lol.
The other person I know is a manager and its just really nice.
I don't have one myself because its pretty $$$. If I valued phones I would pick one up myself. Year after year they have gotten significantly better with the crease and hardware. They're often very beast with hardware features.
Last time I looked, the aspect ratios for the unfolded screens were such that you didn't actually get any more screen real estate than a normal smartphone so the kids analogy doesn't make a ton of sense to me. For media it's like you get the illusion of a bigger screen.
I've seen the same, but tbh in real world use on my Pixel 9 Pro Fold even with the big black bars on a full screen video it still feels like quite a large viewable area
Doesn't that "feeling" though kinda confirm that it's an illusion of screen space when you can measure the diagonal image on a normal phone and see that it's the same?
I just measured a couple videos with a tape measure lmao
So the typical video Fullscreen is about 6.69 inches almost the size of the iPhone 15 Pro Max at 6.7, unfolded. I should have measured my PF1 the same way while I had it LMAO
The irony is the old school squareish 4:3 videos are WAY bigger (just a hair over 7) so retro emulation is probably great on it LMAO
So its not taking full advantage of the screen size, but you're still able to enjoy media at a size that most can only enjoy on their phone if they can handle the absolute biggest phones
That being said, that's really one use case, for me the biggest reasons to unfold has been accessing remote desktops, reading, productivity and some gaming and "remotely remote working" lol
Unsure. I can only go off anecdotes and what ive been told but maybe that illusion works on the kids?
Anyways, that was his reasoning. Lol its still a nice phone. Maybe he used same justification to get this nicer phone with his wife. He has the Google fold while the other guy has Samsung.
Which do you have? Genuinely curious, never used the modern ones, but assumed they’d be shit/very fragile
Not op, but I have the galaxy fold 3 and it's amazing. I've had it for 3 years and I can't go back to normal phones.
And I've heard the same from many others that got their first foldable.
I've had both the Samsung Fold 2 and now the Pixel Fold
N cer had any issues with them
Right now a Fold 6; the previous one I had was the 3.
The screens are pretty fragile, however they're protected when folded. Just don't drop them onto anything while open....
Other than that they're surprisingly robust. I've had 2 Moto Razr models and a Samsung Z Fold. First Razr did break the screen by leaving it open in a stupidly precarious position and it hit a piece of metal below directly on the folding screen when it fell. But day to day use I never worried about it.
Same here. Got in with he Fold 3 and I'm now on the Fold 6. They're fantastic and I can imagine going back. The convenience of having a mini tablet with you that you can annotate stuff on is too good to give up.
You've been through two phones in just four years? That doesn't sound that great for them...
Upgrading every three years is pretty normal, I'd say. I know people that change phones every new iteration of their fruity ones. Unless you were trying to be funny, for which it may have gone over my head.
Only three years for a premium phone sounds like rich people behavior, to be honest.
Nah, here in the US the majority of people buy through their carrier and typically put them on a 0% interest Equipment Installment Plan (EIP) that break the cost to a monthly payment typically spanning 2 years.
The carriers also have an upgrade path, for me on T-Mobile when the phone is 50% paid (so once a year) I can turn in this phone and upgrade. The remaining balance gets wiped and replaced by the new phone. Other US carriers should be similar.
I typically upgrade once a year
That... Seems so wasteful for me.
Depends on how you look at it, T-Mobile requires that all phones that are Jumped remain in good condition so that they can be resold at a good discount to others or shipped off to their phone insurance company to be issued out to people whose similar phone broke and they make a claim
So it's not like they get shipped back and thrown away, and I do always have the option to just not return the phone and continue to make the payments on it and then I can pass it down to a family member or just keep it as a backup. Which I have done in the past.
(Most) North Americans are the epitome of wasteful consumerism, even more than their economic kin in other global north countries (but sadly not by that much). They succumb like flies to company deals and propaganda that incentivizes throwing away functional stuff and replacing it with new shiny thing XYZ in ever decreasing intervals. Vance Packard's 1960s book still being to the point. If environmental preservation is a concern to you or other reader, don't incentivize an unnecessary tech and use your smartphone (that is a necessity) until it breaks beyond repair or usability (and buy an actually strong protection to increase the interval). I still use an iPhone 6S, and it works perfectly well for smartphone tasks (there is even functioning bank apps. security updates still appear once in a while, and bank apps are protected by the banks anyways. if you feel unsafe using banks in an old smartphone, create a 2nd bank as a ''street bank'' for daily tasks keeping only a low amount of money, and keep the money in a primary bank to be used via internet).
Imagine if we could just flash a functional android ROM on it, that hardware still is great and could last decades (replacing pieces once in a while). Anyway, the mainstream tech industry is definitely an enemy of sustainability, don't 'buy' the green-washing.
I spend extremely little on myself. I have a good salary and no vices, every bill and payment is taken care of, and my family is well taken care of between me and my partner.
If I want to indulge myself with a new toy once every three years, I may very well do so without some guy having to complain about it. Sure, call me rich. I guess I'd live up that princess moniker I have on my nickname.
The large U.S. carriers have plans that are, I think, $20-30 a month and you get the newest phone as soon as it comes out, apple or Samsung. They also partner with manufacturers for discounts and trade-in deals, especially when a new model comes out. My last phone was 2 years old but when they offered me the newest one for something like $120 after trade-in (I think that was almost $1100 off, I don't remember all the details) I upgraded everyone on my plan. I think they did the same thing this year but even with those discounts the pain in the ass of upgrading plus the price, even though it's low, wasn't worth the small year over year change. Probably next year or the year after. Assuming similar deals, that makes it $40-$60 a year to get a new phone every 2-3 years.
Edit: You do have to stay with the carrier though. If you leave in less than 24 months you have to pay back a prorated part of the discount. Or at least the part that comes from the carrier, I think you keep the enhanced trade-in from the manufacturer.
To each their own. I would prefer to stick to my $3/mo plan with no extras. And said $120 are, while a good deal for a premium phone, are still $120 I would rather spend on better things (or if they're this throwaway - donate to a charity). A phone after 2-3 years is still very much functional, I don't see the point to get a new shiny thing just because you can.
But they're going on the AI fad now. Not like they are geniuses after all.
They need to.
Siri is basically unusable compared to ChatGPT.
They'll wait for the tech to mature other manufacturers to figure it out, starve people for a few more years, then release it with a +400% markup and act like they came up with the idea. That's how it's always been.
Although I don't see a future where bendable fucking glass screens become anything more than a gimmick.
(edit) oh hey, the Apple zealots are awake!
My bendable glass screen is the shit. I'm never going back. It's so small in my pocket.
All
Of Apple’sFoldableiPhonePrototypesHave Visible CreasesGerman renowned institute "Stiftung Warentest" just tested two foldables (both Samsung I think) and had them 50.000 times folded and unfolded (they build machines to
torturetest stuff) and reported no creases.50.000 times is over four years for 32 uses every day (twice every wake hour). Would be more than sufficient for a normal user think.
Crease distortion occurs immediately, day 1, first fold, and it's a substantial distortion.... but does not necessarily get exponentially worse like normal fatiguing plastic, but instead just gets worse slowly. Yeah it'll last 50k folds but the crease distortion is definitely there in person.
ftfmocd
I don't get the obsession over the crease, things that fold generally have creases. As long as it's not distorting things (which IME it doesn't and is hardly noticeable when in use anyways) it's fine
This is Apple; they value different things than most people… sometimes warranted, results in offering a much better experience, and pushes everything forward (see MagSafe -> Qi2 for recent example), other times they’re just regarded as late adopters. The detraction of visual aesthetics from folding crease is apparently one of such things that they care about.
Except Huawei Mate XS 2, Honor Magic V2, Oppo Find N.
Edit: search engine link unreliable.
So many links about creases.
Many such creases!
Everybody says so.
I'm shocked that Apple didn't just make the crease more obvious and consider it a design element and advertise it as something the consumer wants.
We invented the crease.
I mean for all the things you can meme on Apple for, releasing products for the sake of releasing something isn’t something they’re known for. See Air Power.
For every AirPower there's a $999 ProStand. Apple is just a greedy company, like everyone else in tech. They are just more picky on the bullshit they sell, but they still sell bullshit.
I have a theory on those stands and stuff. It’s a marketing ploy as people will be talking about the absurdity of it and that’s free advertising for them.
Only Apple has the courage to give you a crease.
ICrease
That'll come out. Good thing I bough the optional $400 i...ron.
Yeah just like the notch and dynamic island. They even brought the notch to Macbooks since Apple thinks it makes their brand look more uniform.
And I hate every second of it on my work macbook. How one could think cutting out the middle from the space that has to house your applications menu(IntelliJs is huge for example) and your tray icons, which can be quite a lot too, and then not have a function to keep either of them from just disappearing behind that cutout is asinine.
No No, I didn't need thos menu items anyway....
Would TopNotch help?
No, this only hides it visually, you still run into the issue of content being hidden behind it. I now use bartender which allows me to at least put the tray icons in a dropdown that opens below the nodge.
But the fact this is necessary speaks volumes about Apples care for user experience
aesthethichs
Dynamic Valley
They are trying to make foldable iPhones because everyone else is making a foldable phone, but have they stopped and asked themselves if people want and need a foldable?
I have yet to see a real use case for something like a Samsung Z flip, and carrying a bulky Z fold phone in my pocket only to be able to have a tablet once in a while and watch a movie is not interesting enough.
Do I need a foldable phone? No. Do I like the idea of owning a phone that is actually small enough to be used with one hand and can fit anywhere? Yes. Besides, closing it to end a call is very cool.
The ones I have seen in stores are still too long to be used with one hand or fit comfortably into a pocket. My Pixel 7a is about the biggest I can use one-handed, and even then there is awkwardness.
Most Androids have a one-handed mode, where it shrinks the display into a corner, so you can reach everything with your thumb.
Wouldn't it be better to just, y'know, cut out the free space around it?
you mean having a small phone in the first place?
I miss small phones
exactly
Unfortunately a lot of hardware doesn't fit into small phones yet. You can still get small Androids, but no NFC, wireless charging, fingerprint sensor, etc..
I'm writing this on a Samsung S10e, which is the smallest waterproof one with all the nice features I could get at the time. I can do most things one-handed, but need the one-handed mode to reach the 30% of the screen in top corner furthest away from my thumb. pic related:
They wouldn't sell enough of them to justify making/promoting them.
I love big phones though. Smaller ones feel too claustrophobic to me
Also, from a usabity point of view, bigger screens are better for watching videos in landscape, editing text and it's easier to use the gestures and the keyboard (I don't even have fat fingers). I think only downside is ring and pinky fingers hurting after a while because of the weight
Yeah, iPhones have similar modes, swipe down and the screen scrolls down you can also swipe the keyboard to either side for better access too.
I hardly ever do that though, except by accident.
I had to go crawling back to Samsung because the pixel 9 is too large (and heavy) for me. I was using a pixel 5 before my screen died earlier this year :(.
Edit: to clarify I'm not using a foldable phone, I just have their S24 which is apparently the smallest phone on the market I could find these days that isn't out dated (Zenphone).
I only bought a Pixel because of GrapheneOS, and the "a" series is at least slightly smaller (plus plastic back instead of glass, that's something I am also happy about).
But yeah, I feel you :( I am not even small, I have average hands!
I actually find the Z Folds to be far better for one handed usability than regular phones since they're narrower. Honestly wished Samsung didn't make the newer ones wider. I liked the Fold 3's width. It was perfect for me.
The implication is that when closed you can use them one handed
Those are probably the Samshits and I too avoided them because they're too damn long (And their user hostility lol), the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is what you want, folded it's almost as big as the 7as screen (6.3 to 6.1 on the 7a)
First - 6.3 usually means already over the edge of comfortable, 7a is already almost too much. Second - thickness adds to it when it's in your hand. And third - why would I spend huge money (doesn't seem like it would decrease in price with generations as much as a normal phone, it might be EOL when it becomes affordable) on something that breaks more easily and is still bigger?
I don't personally feel much of a difference in .2 inches of screen, but if 6.1 is your absolute limit, then the Pixel Fold 1 might be your perfect fit with a 5.8 "short and stocky" outer screen
Though I don't think it's being sold new anymore, but it looks like eBay has some good condition/refurb models going for ~<800-1k, Google has stated all Pixels will get 6 or 7 years of updates.
Sure, you can buy one to never unfold. But you'd be getting a thick, expensive AF phone for no reason, lol
? I don't understand your comment, was it meant for a reply for a different comment?
About a foldable phone being a "perfect fit" if only the outer screen is, in addition to being far more expensive than a normal phone.
I have a Z flip and while it's far from perfect, foldable flip phones are great and I'd choose them over a same-spec regular phone every day. Much more convenient to carry in my pocket compared to a slab and basically having an included tripod for photos is pretty nice as well.
My z flip is hands down my favorite phone I've ever owned and I didn't get it expecting to like it much. I just needed a new phone and with Samsung's recycling program, my old near-tablet sized phone made the switch like barely 100 bucks.
There are a lot of small advantages it provides that quickly add up to it being an overall superior experience. Now if only Bixby wasn't the worst fucking thing ever.
I want a foldable phone.
Phones have become larger abd flatter over the years, and they're just uncomfortable to have in my pocket. A foldable phone will solve this issue.
I didn't buy one yet due to not believing the tech is there yet. Screens are very scratchable and the battery life is poor.
I love my flip 6. I had a flip 5 which I abused with no case on it. Got a deal to trade it in broken as fuck for a 6 straight up. I would hate to go back to a regular phone. They are better in every way and the crease isn't even noticeable after using the phone for a couple days.
I want a flip phone.
I still think the Game boy Advance SP's design was peak. Lightweight, compact, and very distinct. It looked sleek enough to not look like a toy, where I was using it in the office and nobody would bat an eye.
Give me that with a phone. Im not interested in being a first buyer or spending money for that novelty. But id happily use a foldable the moment they become as reliable as these tablet phones.
The form factor is just really great for a pocketable device, and being able to close a GBA SP really feels satisfying to put away. Same with the (larger) DS.
Personally I'd like a fingerprint reader notch on the back of a Z-fold style phone. Not a fan of the "in-screen" style. Tbh i probably should just not use biometrics unlocking to begin with.
Cops in the US can (legally) make you unlock your phone if it's biometrics-locked. Something to think about.
Exactly what I was thinking about.
The Z Fold places it's fingerprint reader on the side power button which isn't quite the same as the back but it's a lot closer than the screen based fingerprint readers.
Jacksfilms even made a joke about the DS Lite when the first Galaxy Z Flip came out. Just thought I'd mention that.
My wife loves her flip. I personally don't like them, yes there is crease right where it folds and over time it will make your phone stop working. We just replaced hers after months of her dealing with the phone glitching. But she does enjoy it and requested getting another flip phone.
Does not compute. My wife had her Flip 3 replaced two times, and now she bought a Fairphone. Unfortunately they seem to be unreliable, the phone was quite nice otherwise.
Honestly a foldable smartphone should be 2 touchscreens with a hinge if there’s at all any risk of a bendy screen breaking more easily or otherwise being inferior to that.
That's what the surface duo was. I still have my OG, and other than being fragile because its literally 2mm thicker than a USBC port on each half, its the perfect e-reader. Sadly for video consumption its not great with the boundary, but you can use it in a propped up mode which I much prefer.
Its a great phone, but certainly not without comprises, just like any folding phone.
It suits my needs perfectly though! You can take my folding phone out of my cold dead hands
My wife loves her flip. She just upgraded from the 4 to the 6 and the creaae is barely visible when in use
She uses it a lot for videocalls and she folds it to use it as a tripod, and also being able to use the good camera to take selfies is a great use case
She also loves that it fits on most of her pants when folded, usually women's pants have very small pockets.
That phone is not for me, but I can definitely attest to real use cases
I want a flip design. Or women’s clothing with pockets large enough to fit my current phone. Whichever is easier. Seems to be the folding phone at this point.
Back before smart phones I always preferred flip phones over "candy bars", the flip phone helps to protect the delicate screen and buttons while the phone is in your pocket/purse. You don't really need a case for a flip phone.
Modern smart phones tend to be more delicate than they should be across the board, but in theory, a flip phone puts the more delicate parts in a safer place.
I agree the Flip and kiln are utterly pointless, just a big ol nostalgic rip imo.
But book styles like Fold are pretty great, being able to go from phone to tablet whenever has been amazing! My Pixel 9 pro fold is my most used tablet ever, I've had a lot of tablets over the years and they all end up collecting dust in no time because they suffer from a fatal flaw. They're never near me when I need/want a tablet the most.
I would have considered a folding book-style phone if I wanted a tablet. I agree that they're likely the only viable use case that isn't a complete gimmick.
I just got my pro fold, I haven't used it that much as a tablet to be honest. It is nice to do when I need it.
Did you get the Google insurance thing that's quite pricey with it? I have a few days to get it.
That's the beauty of the "not tall as fuck" (cough Samsuck cough) ones, you don't feel forced to use it so you'll use it more when you actually want to lol
I bought through my carrier and have their insurance, folds on my carriers thing has a deductible of $250. I'd look at your carriers offerings if they have any and go with whoever has the cheapest deductible
But in general, I always got the phone insurance even when it wasn't an 1800$ foldy phone lol
I’d take a foldable over the current slabs any day of the week
Why? What does it bring you? I’m genuinely curious
Smaller overall size of the phone. If the folded thickness is less than a double of the current slabs, and the unfolded size is bigger than them, doesn’t it make sense to you?
With the “current” technology, we could make phones that have 9” screens and insane battery life (The ratio of screen power usage and battery density isn’t 1:1. Think tablets and their insanely good battery life) but it would be impractical, but if you fold them, you get that exact thing.
No because it’s ugly. The fold is noticeable in the Samsung version as well. Very easy to tell the screen isn’t glass and that is bothersome when watching videos.
True, but why shouldn’t we have more options?
The phone is drastically smaller than most slab phones these days. So it's very easy to use with one hand. Then when it's unfolded, the large inner screen is amazing for viewing photos, reading ebooks, comics and reading Reddit/websites.
The use case is people who want pocketable, one handed phones. It doesn’t matter to me if they make another iPhone mini or an iPhone flip. Whichever one they release will be my next phone.
The last iPhone mini release was in 2021. I don’t want a near 7” pro max phone. 6.4” is too big in my opinion as well.
I watch movies and read on my samsung fold and I enjoy it a lot
I kind of want a flip phone for the compact size when folded so it will fit more easily into my tiny pockets. But I don't want a phone with a screen that likely need regular (and expensive) replacements if I want to keep using it long past the 2 year contract window like I do with most phones.
Note: the latest pixel fold is about the same size and weight as the pixel 9 pro.
It's actually kinda incredible that it is that light and thin while folding.
I've got one on the way Best Buy screwed up the pre-order and didn't get enough stock in so I'm left waiting. But yea seems like by all accounts it's roughly the size of a regular phone plus you get a small tablet when you want.
The battery life is definitely worse because of it but it doesn't bother me much
Nintendo DS emulation. That's about the one novelty use case.
If I were on the verge of running a monopoly, I'd be spending my money on making anything that the competition is making, along with my usual product. Because if you let them run with it and it turns out to be the next big thing, you've just shot yourself in the leg. Microsoft is no longer just an OS maker. Google is no longer just a search engine company. Amazon is no longer a bookstore.
Diversify your assets.
Who wants a thin phone with a large screen? Nobody.
Meanwhile I want a tablet with phone call support. (Samsung Tabs with LTE/5G are carrier locked)
I know a few people with foldables. They enjoy them, but I don't really have a need.
I could allow that some people would rather carry a thicker but shorter object in their pocket than a thinner one with larger surface area. But I can’t think of much more than that. It bugs me that all foldable now ALSO have a miniature screen on the outside. Like they immediately admit that their primary feature is a nonstarter and add bulk to the phone when bulk is a primary issue with foldables.
Do people need foldables? Absolutely not, but I love mine. I went with the OnePlus Open mainly for the cameras, and the bigger screen is great for reviewing or sharing the photos with someone. Having two apps side by side is really nice but I don't really use that feature that often.
I think the bigger thing is having a screen that faces away from the main viewing side. Showing a live camera view or translating speech into text from another language are two good, but rare, use cases. I think what it really comes down to is how much do you use your phone and for what purpose?
Thanks for the insight! That’s not something I thought about
Most folds show movies at the same size as regular, non folding phones. That's not a valid use case unless you're streaming a 4:3 ratio video from the 30s.
My biggest concern is durability. I keep my phones for a long time (5-6 years). I have serious concerns that folding phones wont hold up. Especially considering that they oldest amongst them are only just now reaching the age of my last phone that was a champ up until I retired it.
There have been plenty of fads over the lifespan of the smartphone market. E.g. curved edge screens. I think curved screens are another and Apple is right to ignore it. There's too many compromises required for a foldable and not much benefit to be worth it.
My personal theory for the curved edges is, that samsung just wanted to prevent cheap off brand replacement screens.
Mine is that they wanted it to stand out, compared to all the other phones with flat screens at the time, especially with all the design clones.
You would look at it and go "oh that phone looks funny, must be a Samsung".
This is what it was when they introduced it. I used to work for an Android OEM at the time and the product people really wanted to get their hands on curved screens for the same reason. Eventually they got Samsung to sell them some but it wasn't as curved as the ones Samsung used on their devices to keep differentiation. It still cost twice what flat screens which ate a significant chunk of the profit margin.
I think part of the reason was to look good in stores. If you have a non curved and curved phone next to each other playing the demo video, the curved looks waaay more futurostic.
The curved edges were the precursor tech to having a foldable screen. No matter what is said about the Apple vs. Samsung debate, Samsung is still the one responsible for the praises on Apple's screens. They have tried with other manufacturers and providers but can't escape the fact that Samsung is still the major leader on displays as they dump a shit ton of money on R&D on all LED screen technologies, specially manufacturing at scale. If you want high end screens, you just go with Samsung, period. The alternatives are constantly playing catch up with them and they are actually experimenting and trying to come up with new and original stuff. LG and Sharp are also really good, but their screens aren't as premium as Apple wants them to be, though they are more affordable.
Foldable at least has theoretical benefit, curved screens on a phone are fucking terrible
What I don’t understand is why nobody makes a foldable phone where it’s just two flat screens with an invisible bezel along one edge so they fit seamlessly together when fully opened.
It’s not like there’s a use case where you operate the phone half unfolded and require both halves of the screen to be seamlessly connected.
If the flexing feature wasn’t a gimmick and there was an actual use case for a foldable pocket iPad, someone would have released a phone like the Kyocera Echo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyocera_Echo to commercial success.
not invisible, but the Surface Duo line was pretty much that.
Microsoft had a dual screen foldable like that, then stopped supporting it
Is "invisible bezel with actual screen below" possible?
I'm sure there are a half-dozen ways you could at least fake it. Like if the bezel can be made clear and they overlap somewhat.
Since it’s not been brought to market, I’ll assume there isn’t a way with its money’s worth. At most you have the Microsoft thing with a thin hinge.
I mean, it's a really slick gimmick. I think having a bendy screen is cooler than two screens even if it's more expensive/difficult to manufacture and doesn't provide any real benefit.
Exactly. And it wouldn’t have to be double wide since some components could be pushed to the other size. I’m fine with it just being like two apps open and not even one big one. Multitasking.
I guess what we really need is a phone case that has hinges and we can just buy two phones!
Interesting idea. Bezels have been made pretty thin and there have been curved display edges, but I don’t know if anyone’s ever tried a one-side zero-bezel design that you could hinge together. Bezels in the other sides are fine, but could we create a flush edge with no gap to click two screens against each other?
The first time anything got caught in the gap, it would probably shatter the screens. I do like it better than the crease though
I was actually thinking of hinging it the other way, having the screens fold to the outside.
Hey! What did you just say about the Nexus 4?
I have a foldable phone that also has a very slightly curved front screen (Honor Magic V2). It's perfect. You can barely see the curve, no weird reflections, it just feels very good in the hand, there are no sharp edges at all. Feels very smooth and nice to hold and use.
I’d tolerate a crease to have an ipad on my pocket
I have an iPad mini and enormous pockets. I'm living the dream.
Skirts with pockets= world peace, prolly
From what we know, the folding iPhone will be a flip style foldable. So, just a regular size phone, it won't be huge when unfolded.
Sad. My pocket would like a flat big phone rather than a cube shaped phone
My flip 6 is less than an inch wide folded with a case on it
I genuinely cannot decide whether your comment is a flex or a complaint.
Only Apple product I care about. God, the Android tablet market is so shit. I miss the Nexus line 😞
no stock Android on Tablets is really bad.
If you want an iPad in your pocket just buy a Pro Max.
Which isn't even close to an iPad in size, not even the iPad mini in terms of actual screen real estate.
I'd use the mini if they'd just let me lol.
You mean as a phone? Its modem only does data, yeah.
Yeah. And no phone app.
But that's my preferred size for sure. I probably won't bother with a max the next time I get a phone, just because it still isn't actually big enough for me to justify the price difference.
Kind of relatable. I go with the smaller sizes (regular Pro) as the Max is too large for my relatively small hands to use one-handed but at the same time it's not large enough to enhance what I can do with the device.
So what I do is I always have my phone with me and optionally I take my 11" iPad Pro with me, although I'm hoping they'll release a new iPad mini in October as I'd like something a bit more portable (and I also want the variant with mobile data, while my 11" Pro is Wi-Fi only).
I have a Boox go color 7 that I have in my pocket a lot. I made a little leather sleeve for it and am frequently tempted to add a couple pockets to the flap and make it my permanent "wallet". It's better for reading, anyways, but there's a lot of software I use that's only on iOS without an acceptable Android substitute, and it's also not a phone. (I'd also be perfectly happy with the watch as my "phone" and to carry two small tablets).
But you just can't fit much on a phone screen.
iPhone Pro Max screen area: 115.6cm²
iPad Air 11" screen area: 357.6cm²
iPad Air 13" screen area: 519.3cm²
An iPad has between 3 and 4.5 times the screen space than the largest iPhone.
The pro max is too small.
I'm pretty perfectionist about some things, but I honestly forget all of the time about this little crease in my phone. I thought I might give a shit before I bought a Motorola Razr last year, and now I often forget that it's a foldable. Imagine if you will, a phone that actually fucking fits in your jean pockets...it's worth the little (often invisible) crease.
Size issue. My jean pockets can fit a whole tablet.
I am indeed a short shit.
Had a manager that somewhat creepily checked for people's phones, the look on her face when I pulled an entire box of cereal from my pocket they couldn't see was pretty good.
I know you probably mean one of those serving-sized cereal boxes, but the mental image of you pulling out a family-sized box of cereal from some portal-to-Narnia pocket in your pants is fucking hilarious to me.
I mean not the family size, but yes a full on box of cereal.
I liked my jumbo iPhone for a while but it was too long to fit comfortably in my pocket. Making it foldable wouldn’t help though, because the main reason I got rid of it was I kept dropping it. Too big to use with one hand.
My pockets' capacity is determined by the thickness of what I'm shoving in there, not the height. A folding phone is the worst possible thing as it doubles the thickness at the expense of height.
Yeah I'm not sure for everyone but it solved my problems with the phone being too big to fit in my pockets. It even works in like pajama pants for when I'm walking the dog. Before, the phone tended to be too long and flop out.
Whatever they do, when they release it the have to call it the iFold!
iMustProtest
They're all so desperate for an excuse to increase the price further, and I don't know anybody who wants this.
We're already at over 6 inch for phones. It's plenty big enough. If I want to see something on a bigger screen, I'll use a device with a bigger screen.
As someone who reads a lot on the go folding phones are AMAZING My eyes never felt so good and my pockets so light. That being said it broke after three months of use when I dropped it face first while closed. If they where more durable or repairable I’d definitely go back
Just because you don't personally know them doesn't mean they don't exist. There's very obviously a large market for them or Samsung wouldn't be in the 5th generation with competition from Google, Huawei, OnePlus, etc.
The recent trifold phone prototype by some Chinese company was the only version that interested me. It actually expanded to true tablet size and the proportions and thickness while folded matched the standard phone proportions. That actually felt useful and I could get rid of my tablet, so I wouldn't mind the extra cost too much. The big issue obviously would be if it could have decent battery life, which I assume will be its critical flaw.
I want a slide out keyboard like on my G1.
Same. I'll never forget that thing...
Soon we'll have tablet sized phones that fold multiple times. lol
Edit: Friends, i have bad news...
Huawei Mate XT Ultimate
Well, shit.
Tankie Phone
I saw an ad for a phone that folds in quarters
User error - you are all looking at it wrong
Apple is leaning into the criticism that all they do is copy Samsung tech. Nobody wants a folding iPhone.
I absolutely do. Look at the Huawei Trifold for an example. It’s overly expensive, and has issues, which is why I wouldn’t get it. But the concept is decent. A phone that unfolds into an incredibly thin tablet. What’s not to like?
I'd rather a simpler phone at this point. I don't think I've ever looked at my phone and felt that it's too small. I can think of other ways that I'd want phones to be more functional, like connecting to external peripherals and a monitor.
Lots of people are excited about folding phones too though, so more power to them if companies are willing to go that way.
I think that it’s for this reason that a folding phone will be better as an iPhone mini or regular model and not a folding ultra. In fact, I don’t know that they’ll bother with calling it anything. It would just be the iPhone fold for 1st gen and it’d probably be in an in between size of pro and regular.
It’s ugly and the fold is noticeable which is distracting when watching videos. Not to mention Huawei is banned in the US
I can't speak for that device in particular, but I've been using a Galaxy Fold for a few years now and the crease is literally nothing. In most cases, you're looking dead on at the phone and you can't see it. If you're outside it becomes slightly more noticeable, but the bright glare from the sun in general makes for more of a problem than the crease. I have no intention of going back to a non-folding device.
Also, Huawei is not banned from being purchased and used by consumers in the US lmao.
I mean sure but you're in for a hell of a ride if it breaks and you need support.
I do want one of those new flip phones. Since normal phones aren't getting any more portable, I'd rather have that than carrying around a brick. For me, the biggest problems with these at the moment are repairability, durability and price. Once those are solved, I will probably get one.
It's the iBump, it's a haptic invention gently letting you know you have passed to the other half of the screen. They also made it visible to give you a gentle cue as to where the middle is.
put this verbatim in the ads and the fanboys will praise it as innovation™
Like that time they made a giant hole in the screen and called it 'dynamic island' 😂
oh god that thing is so ugly
Fold the foil outside the hinge?
Not completely related to the foldable iphone(tho im sure it would slap because it would be a good execution of the idea) but its such a shame that apple has to be so bitchy with their software. If theyd just open up the software(or the eu forces them to) i would instantly buy one when custom os's are available. Imagine getting a linux iphone.
Why do you need an iPhone to get a Linux phone?
Similar to how you can buy a recently used MacBook Pro and install linux on it and have a fucking phenomenal device, that other person hopes the same could be done to their phones.
I didn't realize the hardware of an iPhone is superior to hardware of other flagship phones.
It's not necessarily the hardware, rather the build quality sometimes appeals to people (i.e. metal finishes, aesthetic, weight)
I dont need an iphone for that, but the(in my opinion) good hardware of the iphone with free software would be nice. Most linux phones are pretty crap but seeing what asahilinux is on arm macs i would have hope in iphone linux if the hardware was open. Of course its possible people would just port android which isnt the best result as android in my opinion is basically a worse, mostly proprietary version of linux.
Android still has F-droid and FOSS alternatives to mostly everything, while iPhone is walled garden 101.
And linux IS foss out of the box no need to use workarounds. Also you get better performance with stock linux most times.
Foldable phones look and work like shit. Not a shock that Apple wants nothing to do with a silly fad— not until it’s worth it for them.
I am on my second foldable phone, and on my fourth year using them. Not only does your statement is not true, you probably never even touched a single foldable.
Looks? Subjective. I personally love the form factor. Works like shit? In your dreams.
I know a few people at work that have foldables. Both are not going back and the crease really isnt noticeable.
One guy has the Google Pixel Fold. His kids share his phone to leave his wife's phone alone when they are watching something. It makes it easier to share with his kids because its a larger screen. When it was smaller they fought more because they couldn't all watch on a small screen. Hes reaping benefits too. Ive seen him have it open to watch NFL highlights lol.
The other person I know is a manager and its just really nice.
I don't have one myself because its pretty $$$. If I valued phones I would pick one up myself. Year after year they have gotten significantly better with the crease and hardware. They're often very beast with hardware features.
Last time I looked, the aspect ratios for the unfolded screens were such that you didn't actually get any more screen real estate than a normal smartphone so the kids analogy doesn't make a ton of sense to me. For media it's like you get the illusion of a bigger screen.
I've seen the same, but tbh in real world use on my Pixel 9 Pro Fold even with the big black bars on a full screen video it still feels like quite a large viewable area
Doesn't that "feeling" though kinda confirm that it's an illusion of screen space when you can measure the diagonal image on a normal phone and see that it's the same?
I just measured a couple videos with a tape measure lmao
So the typical video Fullscreen is about 6.69 inches almost the size of the iPhone 15 Pro Max at 6.7, unfolded. I should have measured my PF1 the same way while I had it LMAO
The irony is the old school squareish 4:3 videos are WAY bigger (just a hair over 7) so retro emulation is probably great on it LMAO
So its not taking full advantage of the screen size, but you're still able to enjoy media at a size that most can only enjoy on their phone if they can handle the absolute biggest phones
That being said, that's really one use case, for me the biggest reasons to unfold has been accessing remote desktops, reading, productivity and some gaming and "remotely remote working" lol
Unsure. I can only go off anecdotes and what ive been told but maybe that illusion works on the kids?
At 3:50 it looks like the phone is being opened to watch something. . Looks large to me
The tech specs here
Anyways, that was his reasoning. Lol its still a nice phone. Maybe he used same justification to get this nicer phone with his wife. He has the Google fold while the other guy has Samsung.
Which do you have? Genuinely curious, never used the modern ones, but assumed they’d be shit/very fragile
Not op, but I have the galaxy fold 3 and it's amazing. I've had it for 3 years and I can't go back to normal phones. And I've heard the same from many others that got their first foldable.
I've had both the Samsung Fold 2 and now the Pixel Fold
N cer had any issues with them
Right now a Fold 6; the previous one I had was the 3.
The screens are pretty fragile, however they're protected when folded. Just don't drop them onto anything while open....
Other than that they're surprisingly robust. I've had 2 Moto Razr models and a Samsung Z Fold. First Razr did break the screen by leaving it open in a stupidly precarious position and it hit a piece of metal below directly on the folding screen when it fell. But day to day use I never worried about it.
Same here. Got in with he Fold 3 and I'm now on the Fold 6. They're fantastic and I can imagine going back. The convenience of having a mini tablet with you that you can annotate stuff on is too good to give up.
You've been through two phones in just four years? That doesn't sound that great for them...
Upgrading every three years is pretty normal, I'd say. I know people that change phones every new iteration of their fruity ones. Unless you were trying to be funny, for which it may have gone over my head.
Only three years for a premium phone sounds like rich people behavior, to be honest.
Nah, here in the US the majority of people buy through their carrier and typically put them on a 0% interest Equipment Installment Plan (EIP) that break the cost to a monthly payment typically spanning 2 years.
The carriers also have an upgrade path, for me on T-Mobile when the phone is 50% paid (so once a year) I can turn in this phone and upgrade. The remaining balance gets wiped and replaced by the new phone. Other US carriers should be similar.
I typically upgrade once a year
That... Seems so wasteful for me.
Depends on how you look at it, T-Mobile requires that all phones that are Jumped remain in good condition so that they can be resold at a good discount to others or shipped off to their phone insurance company to be issued out to people whose similar phone broke and they make a claim
So it's not like they get shipped back and thrown away, and I do always have the option to just not return the phone and continue to make the payments on it and then I can pass it down to a family member or just keep it as a backup. Which I have done in the past.
(Most) North Americans are the epitome of wasteful consumerism, even more than their economic kin in other global north countries (but sadly not by that much). They succumb like flies to company deals and propaganda that incentivizes throwing away functional stuff and replacing it with new shiny thing XYZ in ever decreasing intervals. Vance Packard's 1960s book still being to the point. If environmental preservation is a concern to you or other reader, don't incentivize an unnecessary tech and use your smartphone (that is a necessity) until it breaks beyond repair or usability (and buy an actually strong protection to increase the interval). I still use an iPhone 6S, and it works perfectly well for smartphone tasks (there is even functioning bank apps. security updates still appear once in a while, and bank apps are protected by the banks anyways. if you feel unsafe using banks in an old smartphone, create a 2nd bank as a ''street bank'' for daily tasks keeping only a low amount of money, and keep the money in a primary bank to be used via internet).
Imagine if we could just flash a functional android ROM on it, that hardware still is great and could last decades (replacing pieces once in a while). Anyway, the mainstream tech industry is definitely an enemy of sustainability, don't 'buy' the green-washing.
I spend extremely little on myself. I have a good salary and no vices, every bill and payment is taken care of, and my family is well taken care of between me and my partner.
If I want to indulge myself with a new toy once every three years, I may very well do so without some guy having to complain about it. Sure, call me rich. I guess I'd live up that princess moniker I have on my nickname.
The large U.S. carriers have plans that are, I think, $20-30 a month and you get the newest phone as soon as it comes out, apple or Samsung. They also partner with manufacturers for discounts and trade-in deals, especially when a new model comes out. My last phone was 2 years old but when they offered me the newest one for something like $120 after trade-in (I think that was almost $1100 off, I don't remember all the details) I upgraded everyone on my plan. I think they did the same thing this year but even with those discounts the pain in the ass of upgrading plus the price, even though it's low, wasn't worth the small year over year change. Probably next year or the year after. Assuming similar deals, that makes it $40-$60 a year to get a new phone every 2-3 years.
Edit: You do have to stay with the carrier though. If you leave in less than 24 months you have to pay back a prorated part of the discount. Or at least the part that comes from the carrier, I think you keep the enhanced trade-in from the manufacturer.
To each their own. I would prefer to stick to my $3/mo plan with no extras. And said $120 are, while a good deal for a premium phone, are still $120 I would rather spend on better things (or if they're this throwaway - donate to a charity). A phone after 2-3 years is still very much functional, I don't see the point to get a new shiny thing just because you can.
But they're going on the AI fad now. Not like they are geniuses after all.
They need to.
Siri is basically unusable compared to ChatGPT.
They'll wait for
the tech to matureother manufacturers to figure it out, starve people for a few more years, then release it with a +400% markup and act like they came up with the idea. That's how it's always been.Although I don't see a future where bendable fucking glass screens become anything more than a gimmick.
(edit) oh hey, the Apple zealots are awake!
My bendable glass screen is the shit. I'm never going back. It's so small in my pocket.
You like the gimmick, that's valid.
Still a gimmick though.