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This article is all about foldable phones and how the world's biggest tech company totally missed a golden opportunity there, but I have to start with something that took place sixteen years ago. Do you remember the very first Macbook Air?
Unveiled by Steve Jobs at MacWorld 2008, its debut was one of the greatest moments in computer history, if you ask me, maybe second-best after the original iPhone announcement.
I will link that moment below for those who want to watch it, but let me break down what made that moment special. There were two things that stood out: the captivating style of the presentation and just how radical of a change the Macbook Air really was.
Steve Jobs showed the five defining characteristics of the slimmest laptop at the time
Steve Jobs starts by listing one of the slimmest laptops at that time, a Sony model, and breaking down its five marquee features. Then, he goes on to point out that this new Macbook beats it not just in one or two, it beats it in four out of five defining features.
The Macbook Air was so much slimmer it looked unlike any other rival
The event is live and Jobs immediately proceeds to show a picture of just how thin this new Macbook Air really is overlayed on top of the size of that other slim laptop. It is a jaw-dropping moment. You hear loud "oohs" and "aahs" from the audience. The thickest point of this new Macbook turns out to be thinner than the slimmest point of its competitor.
The iconic Macbook Air in an envelope announcement moment
Jobs then goes for the big reveal, pulling the Macbook Air out of an envelope. An even louder reaction of shock and excitement folows from the audience.
What an epic, unforgettable moment!
The year now is 2024, sixteen years after that event, and I wonder if Apple could have had this kind of a moment this very year, but... missed that opportunity entirely.
Enter: Foldable phones
In 2024, we get foldable phones like this, the tri-fold Huawei Mate XT
Today's Apple is certainly very different from the Apple of the past.
The live events are gone in favor of scripted and pre-recorded announcements, where every word is carefully judged and it even seems Apple CEOs are told what is the right way to stand on the stage. It all seems so perfect, there are no empty moments in the presentation, no moment when someone would stutter and hesitate for a moment, no suspense and ultimately, far less emotion. It turns out that when you take away the risk out of a certain endeavor, it loses a lot of its charm.
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Apple devices have gone the same way, avoiding risk and averse to every possibility of failure. The new phones are always fast, excellent and... predictable.
But something is changing. People are getting bored of this.
In the past few years, foldable phones have been one area that has grown in leasp and bounds. Just a few years back, these were clunky devices that would often break in a few months. And today, they feel totally different. We have seen countless innovations there.
List of Foldable Phone Innovations (2019 - 2024)
the first Galaxy Fold phone showed it was all possible
work on the hinge and new teardrop hinge was big
ultra-thin glass covered the display
foldable phones got water protection
you could now also use a stylus on the screen
newer models removed the crease
new designs and form factors proved exciting
camera systems improved a great deal
new interfaces like the OnePlus Canvas showed exciting possibilities
Most recently, we got to see the first tri-fold phone, the Huawei Mate XT, yet another marvel of engineering.
Honestly, there is so much happening in the foldable space, it's hard to keep up.
But there is one big thing missing: there is no foldable iPhone and all evidence shows that it is not coming any time soon.
Apple missed the "Macbook Air moment" for foldable phones
The Fold 4 (on the right) from a couple of years ago looks massive compared to the new Honor Magic V3 (on the left) (Image by PhoneArena)
That is a real pity because the folding phone space needed a "Macbook Air" moment in the first few years of its existence.
It now seems abundantly clear that the Galaxy Fold tall and narrow form factor was the wrong one, while a different one similar to the new Pixel 9 Pro Fold will dominate the space for the next few years.
It now also seems abundantly clear that the Galaxy Fold thick body was also the wrong decision, and a super slim foldable phone is the way to go forward.
Just like that Macbook Air of the past and its competitors, the foldable phone space needed a disruption, but Apple completely failed to see that opportunity.
Instead, finally, five years since the inception of modern folding phones, companies like Huawei, Honor, Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo were the ones that delivered us the "Air" moment.
The Honor Magic V3 that you see in the picture above is just 9.3mm when folded, and an incredible 4.4mm when open. It is razor thin.
With such advanced new foldable phones, Apple simply cannot look away and it will eventually have to ship a foldable phone. It will not be this year, it probably will not be next year either, buy maybe in 2026 or 2027.
The only problem is that there will be no magic when that finally happens. There will be no history made. The iPhone Fold might just end up as one more foldable phone, but with iOS. And if it comes with an Apple tax to its price, millions of people might just shrug it off.
Who wants yet another boring phone after all, right?
To see what Apple was like back when it used to take risks, check out that iconic Macbook Air unveiling moment below, it starts at the 54:20 minute mark and will take around four minutes of your time:
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Victor, a seasoned mobile technology expert, has spent over a decade at PhoneArena, exploring the depths of mobile photography and reviewing hundreds of smartphones across Android and iOS ecosystems. His passion for technology, coupled with his extensive knowledge of smartphone cameras and battery life, has positioned him as a leading voice in the mobile tech industry.
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