I’d really like the concept of an iPhone Fold. I love the idea of carrying something that’s an iPhone in my pocket but an iPad mini in use.
We’re of course expecting the device to be very expensive, but I could see it being worth the cost. There are, however, two (or three, depending on how you count them) reasons why it might not be the right phone for me after all …
Screen size
When the rumors first started, what I’d really hoped for was a folded device similar to the height and width of an iPhone Pro Max with an unfolded screen opening out to something roughly the same size as the iPad mini.
Over time, reports have suggested that the maximum screen size will be somewhat smaller than I’d hoped. The iPad mini has an 8.3-inch screen, and we’ve so far been expecting the iPhone Fold to have a 7.8-inch one. One firm of analysts is now suggesting it may be smaller yet, at a little under 7.6 inches.
Given that my current iPhone 16 Pro Max has a 6.9-inch screen, the potential gain is significantly smaller than I would have liked. But there’s may be an even bigger reason for me to keep my wallet in my pocket. Namely …
Cameras
While Apple didn’t give me a reason to upgrade this year, the main driver for my upgrades over the years has been the camera capabilities.
Some years, the Pro and Pro Max models have had the same camera capabilities, while in other years the Pro Max has had exclusive photographic features. Either way, of course, the Pro Max gives the biggest ‘viewfinder.’
With the iPhone Air, Apple sacrificed cameras in order to make the device as sleek as possible. Those opting to buy the slimline device had to give up both ultrawide and telephoto lenses. (Hence two or three reasons for me, depending on how you count them.)
Given that I view the Air as a stepping stone toward the iPhone Fold, I do fear that the company may do the same thing with its most expensive iPhone yet: prioritize the slimmest possible form-factor over the cameras.
Top comment by Jonathan Beadle
It continues to surprise me that 9to5Mac doesn’t seem to understand the concept of screen ratios. In another story, it talks about the iPhone Fold having an outer screen that’s similar to the iPhone mini because it will be 5 and a bit inches. And then it talks in this story about a potential 7.6 inch inner screen being not much better than an iPhone Pro Max’s 6.9 inch screen. But both of these points ignore the fact that the ratio of an outer 5.x inch screen will have a different ratio to the iPhone mini’s, and that will open to a 7.x inch screen that itself has a different ratio to the iPhone Pro Max. Talking about just the diagonal measurement when vertical doesn’t tell the whole story. An opened iPhone fold with a 7.x inch inner screen will have way more screen area than a 6.9 inch Pro Max because it will have similar proportions to the iPad mini and therefore be a superior experience than a Pro Max.
Apple wouldn’t necessarily be wrong to do so. Its bet with the iPhone Air is that there would be enough people willing to make the trade-off for the most exciting new form factor. So far, there are indications that Apple may have lost that bet, but only the company knows for sure.
The key question
The question for Apple is who is likely to buy the iPhone Fold? Is it a similar market to the iPhone Air, where what people want is the sleekest-looking and most exciting new model, and are willing to accept some compromises to get that? Or is it an upgrade for those who currently buy the Pro Max models, where they want the absolute best specification and are willing to pay for it?
Those are two very different demographics. If Apple is targeting the first one, it will drop the other cameras. If it’s targeting the second, then it will include them even at the cost of making the device a little bulkier and heavier.
Which way do you expect Apple to go? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
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