At one time, foldable phones attracted a lot of attention from gadget lovers. When we were shown the foldable Samsung Galaxy Fold and a couple of days after it Huawei the Mate X, it seemed just fanfiction. Of course, everyone immediately noticed the fold of the screen. She scared, and still scares, but I still believe that the future belongs to such smartphones. Perhaps in a slightly different form – but definitely the future. In such a technological business, the most expensive company in the world simply cannot stand aside, especially since it is smartphones that generate the lion's share of its profits. Of course I'm talking about Apple. Rumor has it that she is already preparing her version of the foldable device, but I do not believe that Samsung should already start to be afraid of competition. There is at least one good reason for this.
This iPhone will be wanted by many, but it will not be.
Is Apple ready to do something new
Last year, ahead of the launch of the first generation Galaxy Fold, Samsung said: “Foldable smartphones will be the next revolution.” It's hard to argue with this, but why then only two and a half companies were able to release their foldable devices and only Samsung got something more or less normal? Maybe? it is Apple who will take the next decisive step. At least, analysts' opinions and even some leaks testify to this.
This week John Prosse, who often provides interesting information, stated that Apple is preparing a foldable iPhone that will be similar to what Microsoft is trying to do with with your Surface Duo.
Some information from the analyst.
He may have made this conclusion based on the fact that Apple has already patented many things in this direction. However, do not forget that in big business this is a normal process and companies often patent everything that only comes to mind of their engineers.
Will foldable iPhone
That is why the leak should be taken with a grain of salt, but keep in mind that the company cannot but be interested in this direction of development of its devices, because if folding smartphones “shoot”, you can very quickly lose your advantage, and then the giant will be very painful to fall.
Many people think that Apple is no longer an innovator, but this is a mistake. The company can still create trends that others will strive for. Examples are iPad, Apple Watch and AirPods, which have become real hits in their respective categories. The folding device was not the first to make it, but it has not become a trend yet. Maybe the Cupertinos will offer something else that will “go” better?
On the other hand, of course, there is where Apple is catching up. For example, the presence of a wide-angle module, which appeared only in iPhone 11 Pro last fall, and in Android – smartphones has been used for several years.
Everything is foldable.
Sometimes one gets the feeling that a company can do something super cool in one phone at once, but is trying to warm up the market by releasing new items gradually. It is somewhat reminiscent of a good TV series in which the director wants to keep the viewer, gradually throwing something new to him.
Compromises Apple
The advent of foldable phones is taking away the opportunity for manufacturers to make compromises. You need to give something that is very different from what it was, and just draw the smartphone again, forgetting about your old merits.
If Apple again chooses the path of compromises, then she can simply glue the two iPhone and sell it to us at twice the price. I would hate to do this, but it seems that this option is much more likely than the release of a smartphone with a folding screen in the near future.
The reason for this may be that Apple is not one of the companies that will produce a product that has cosmetic defects. Somewhere the operating system may not work very well, but in the hands of its products are always just perfect – from the box to the product itself.
I don't want to say anything bad about Samsung, but it can afford to have some cosmetic flaws in a breakthrough product. In the second generation Galaxy Fold 2, which we expect at the beginning of August, such “shoals” will be perceived by the public much more aggressively. In the third generation, any deviation from the ideal will be considered a failure.
That’s not necessary.
Why Samsung is better Apple
This is why I'm pretty sure Samsung has nothing to fear from the outside Apple. At best, the Cupertinos will release something that will not even come close to the Galaxy Fold or Galaxy Flip and will have a questionable format of two glued phones in my opinion. At the same time, it seems to me much more likely that we will not wait for the folding iPhone until engineers find a way to deceive the laws of physics and make a screen that will not break and will be perfectly flat when open and solid, as if it were monolithic glass.
Until then, Samsung has every chance to make good money on clamshells, but this does not mean that it should not continue to develop. On the contrary, it is necessary. At least even due to the fact that Apple all this time will spend money on development, even if not releasing the product from the laboratories. In three years, we'll see what happens. For now, you just have to wait.