Foldable phones will remain niche products, unless Apple makes one

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tbreezy
tbreezy
Arena Master
• 9mo ago
↵ilia.t said:

Today’s smartphones are the closest to perfection this concept could possibly go, except for one thing - their size. Our society is obsessed with screens, so having a big-screen smartphone is important for many people. However, the bigger the screen, the less comfortable the smartphone, specifically when used on the go. 


The solution is simple and already available - foldable smartphones. What’s left is for everyone to join the party and work hard on refining the concept.


Despite feeling like reinventing the wheel, both the clamshell and the book-style designs provide the comfort of a smaller device and the joy of a big screen. Whenever moving about your day, you can trust the smaller, less capable external screens for any task. However, when in a comfortable place, you can access greater productivity and convenience just by unfolding the bigger screen.


The few issues with the foldables are related to their price, durability and battery life. They all stem from the fact that relatively few companies put investments into the concept. Samsung is the clear leader in the field, followed by Motorola, Google, OnePlus, and a few others just joining the party. That means there’s a lot of room for improvement in a short time. It also means that the foldables passed through the phase of early adopter obscurity and are about to join the mainstream. 


What’s left before crossing the barrier to the mainstream is all about refinement. That’s why we need Apple to join the foldable market. Throughout its history, Apple was successful precisely in refining existing concepts so they get mainstream appeal. There were smartphones before the iPhone, smartwatches before the Apple Watch, and wireless earphones before the AirPods. But we all know when the masses started caring about these product categories.


Despite doubting itself, Apple could be the driving force propelling foldable smartphones into the mainstream. I also believe the next big thing in mobile tech is foldable smartphones. At least until we switch to implants, wearables or some other sci-fi-sounding type of devices.

“Foldable phones will remain niche products, unless Apple makes one“

Well said, not much more needs to be said other than this.

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poptart
poptart
Arena Master
• 9mo ago

I don't think that even Apple will be able to stir sales dramatically. People in general are just intimidated by them and find them too large. Foldable tablets could probably sell more considering tablets are expected to be big and once folded could turn them into a more pocketable device. If by chance Apple does launch a foldable iPhone, I seriously doubt that they could make them better than what's out there at the moment.

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kingof9x
kingof9x
Arena Apprentice
• 9mo ago

After using the pixel fold since launch i gotta say android tablet apps market is still very weak. Ios tablet app quality is way better.

I would be very interested in a iphone/ipad. But i wouldn't care about an iphone that just folds in half.

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Ilia Temelkov
Ilia Temelkov
Phonearena team
Original poster
• 9mo ago
↵R1ftt said:

I mean, what? How many companies are making foldable phones now? 6? That's not a niche amount, at this point in time the CORRECT article to write is "Apple is missing out on a core market sector by ignore a huge portion of the phone market. They are no longer an innovative company, or worth the respect our website continues to give them, but we are so blind by our addiction that we ignore it for these pathetic pieces of rubbish"

According to Counterpoint at the end of last year there were about 250 active brands making smartphones, globally. If we accept that six brands currently develop foldable smartphones, that means less than 3% of the market participants have such devices. I cannot accept that 3% is anything but niche.

Despite the growth of the sales of foldables, they still account for about 1% of the smartphones owned in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the US, and Australia, according to a Kantar study from late last year. This means foldable ownership is also quite niche.

This data makes the argument that Apple is missing out on a huge portion of the market really difficult to support. However, I could argue that smartphone innovation is stagnating at Apple, especially compared to the likes of Samsung and even Google. Apple is still innovative company though, as we can see from Apple Silicon and Vision Pro for example.

Anyways, what’s an innovation that you feel is missing from Apple’s smartphones?

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AltronLivez51
AltronLivez51
Arena Master
• 9mo ago
↵iphoneisboss said:

Samsung doesn’t innovate, all they do is steal the ideas of others. Also please slap yourself for making the ridiculous claim that Samsung has worked out the kinks of the fold. Good battery life? No. High end camera? No. Usable screen when not unfolded? No. Horrible cease still? Yes. Wickedly overpriced? Yes.

If a screen folds its gonna have a crease unless you use 2 separate glass screens.


You sound like such an ignorant little 4 year old child.


You're just ignorant bro and I don't feel sorry for you.


You should just off yourself from life. Stupid people like you give humans a bad name.


Please explain. What do you consider a high end camera? 🤔 the iPhone doesn't even have a high-end camera.


My phone is 4 years old and has 10x optical zoom. The iPhone does not. I have 100MP the iPhone does not.


Golding technology os expensive. All folding phones are overpriced and Apple won't be any different. In fact if Apple makes on it will cost more. Still have a crease. Won't have a high end camera and will have terrible battery life.


My Note 20 U is almost 4 years old, I still get 2 work days from the battery. I've never gotten thet from an iPhone even the recent ones.


You're such a butt-hurt little stupid stooge.

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iphoneisboss
iphoneisboss
Arena Master
• 9mo ago
↵AltronLivez51 said:

If a screen folds its gonna have a crease unless you use 2 separate glass screens.


You sound like such an ignorant little 4 year old child.


You're just ignorant bro and I don't feel sorry for you.


You should just off yourself from life. Stupid people like you give humans a bad name.


Please explain. What do you consider a high end camera? 🤔 the iPhone doesn't even have a high-end camera.


My phone is 4 years old and has 10x optical zoom. The iPhone does not. I have 100MP the iPhone does not.


Golding technology os expensive. All folding phones are overpriced and Apple won't be any different. In fact if Apple makes on it will cost more. Still have a crease. Won't have a high end camera and will have terrible battery life.


My Note 20 U is almost 4 years old, I still get 2 work days from the battery. I've never gotten thet from an iPhone even the recent ones.


You're such a butt-hurt little stupid stooge.

Write all that again but in Spanish.

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ddbyrnes1
ddbyrnes1
Arena Apprentice
• 9mo ago

The unfortunate reality is unless a super strong hinge for the phone is developed it will remain a small tablet configuration. I suppose if graphene can be employed that may solve the problem. Exotic materials will make these phones even more expensive.

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CamDexter
CamDexter
Arena Apprentice
• 9mo ago

This notion that Apple comes along and 'refines' something that other OEM's have been working on for years, is outdated and deluded. The only reason people believe this, is due to Apple's ability to hoodwink people with it's powerful huge budget marketing strategies.


Apple rests on its laurels, whilst companies like Samsung do the hard graft of bringing an innovation to mainstream, then Apple pounce on the idea claiming it to be their own, giving it a fancy meaningless techy buzzword, that the iFans lap up.

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tedkord
tedkord
Arena Legend
• 9mo agoedited

Apple will, of course, come out with a foldable phone - after others have perfected the tech. That's their M.O. for decades now.

But foldable is only a stepping stone. The endgame for flexible displays is expanding devices. That's what I'm waiting for.

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AltronLivez51
AltronLivez51
Arena Master
• 9mo ago
↵iphoneisboss said:

Write all that again but in Spanish.

Why? If you want to know what it is in Spanish, then Google translate the page. What would me typing it in Spanish prove exactly?


Gosh you people!!! When God was passing out brains, he surely must have ran out by the time he got to you.

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