As we’re tired of saying, Apple hasn’t launched a foldable smartphone yet because it can’t, it’s more because it doesn’t (yet) want to. The foldable smartphone market is a very curious segment of the mobile world, because despite being much talked about, it still fails to convince consumers as Samsung and other manufacturers would most likely like.
Just look at your group of friends and family, and count how many foldable devices there are on the table. There are probably very few, if any.
But Apple could change this, which is exactly why it already has two foldable devices in very advanced development. The problem lies in durability and the potential final price for the consumer.
Apple may be planning 2 foldables instead of just 1
Therefore, it is not news to anyone that Apple is developing foldable devices, with a special focus on a foldable iPad, in what could eventually be an iPad Fold. This is where Apple sees the most potential, especially as its iPad tablet range is losing some of its impact on the market.
But the other foldable that could eventually hit the market to complete the iPhone range of smartphones is also more or less finished. We are talking about an iPhone Flip, which should hit the market with a design very similar to Samsung’s Z Flip.
In Apple’s opinion, it makes no sense to offer a foldable smartphone that turns into a tablet. It might make sense to have a large smartphone that folds to become more compact, or an iPad that can be transformed into a kind of laptop, instead of just a larger tablet.
When will we see something foldable from Apple?
Plans may change, but it is very likely that the first device to hit the market will be the iPad Fold, around 2026 or 2027. Apple finds this type of product too expensive for its current market strategy.
Furthermore, the North American giant is also not the biggest fan of the durability of this type of device, which, by the way, is not bad, but is obviously still inferior to the construction quality and resistance of a traditional iPhone.
However, as you can imagine, the iPhone Flip will only be a reality if the iPad Fold is a success. But… Let’s be honest… In the same way that Apple is able to make a strong impact with the extremely expensive Apple Vision Pro, it is also very likely that a foldable device will be able to capture a little more attention and trust from consumers.