TechPhonesiPhones3 features the iPhone Fold must include to get iPhone users to switchA folding iPhone is still nothing more than a rumour – but these three factors are essential if Apple is to win the foldables gameWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
TechPhonesiPhones3 features the iPhone Fold must include to get iPhone users to switchA folding iPhone is still nothing more than a rumour – but these three factors are essential if Apple is to win the foldables gameWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
A folding iPhone is still nothing more than a rumour – but these three factors are essential if Apple is to win the foldables game
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Michal Dufka / Yanko Design)
(Image credit: Michal Dufka / Yanko Design)
This week anotheriPhone Fold rumour circulated, suggesting thatApplemight get intothe best folding phonesgame come 2026. That got me thinking: what would Apple need to create in a folding iPhone to successfully lure users away from their would-be iPhone 18 at that time?
I’ve used dozens of folding phones over the years and being part of that evolution has been fascinating – although not always a success.Google’s first foldable, for example, was a big disappointment to me – one that it fortunately rectified in its totally redesigned second-gen model, thePixel 9 Pro Fold.
But Apple obviously has nothing to do withthe best Android phones. The ecosystem is different, the software layout is different, the user bases are justdifferent. So in a would-beiPhoneFold – if the iPhone name would even be maintained for such a product category – Apple would have to steer away from theSamsung, Google andOnePlusdesign de facto to create something truly standout.
1. Fold, not flip
(Image credit: Michal Dufka / Behance.net)
(Image credit: Michal Dufka / Behance.net)
The most recent rumour depicts a clamshell design iPhone Fold – one with anApple WatchUltra-like screen on its exterior, which flips open to be a ‘normal’ iPhone. Great concept, as you can see in the image above, but I don’t think that’s going to cut it for iPhone users. Who wantslessiPhone as standard?
No, I think what Apple needs to do is delivermoreiPhone: a phone-sized product that then unfolds into aniPad Mini-beating scale. But it needs to be practical, not the square aspect ratio ofGoogle’s second-gen Pixel foldable – a more elongated interior to bring benefit ofthe best streaming services' content to enjoy at massive scale.
That’s going to be tricky to do, of course, and I don’t think Apple going downthe tri-fold route of Huaweiis going to fly. The Mate XT’s design, while impressive, is ultimately too fussy. And while rollable phones, such asMotorola’s Rizr concept, are great visualisations – they’re just too prone to debris and damage.
Sounds like I want the world, then? A little bit, perhaps. But if Apple is to create an iFold (or whatever it could be called), it’ll need to focus on practicalities – providing screen scale and aspect ratio that’s truly useful. And in a form-factor that’s no bigger than iPhone standard.
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2. Conquer the crease
(Image credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxvGI7txoA8&feature=youtu.be)
(Image credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxvGI7txoA8&feature=youtu.be)
I’ve watched the crease – or more lack thereof –decrease in presence over time. But it’s still not perfect. So Apple’s research and development team really needs to tackle this problem head-on and provide a solution that’s beyond its competition.
That will also involve a breakthrough in anti-fingerprint coating, in my view, as the current pOLED finishes – that being plastic-covered OLED' – are particularly poor at negating natural oils from the skin. They don’t clean down particularly well either, so for an iPhone to deliver that famous display punch it’s going to have to perform R&D miracles.
3. Imagine the Pencil Mini
(Image credit: Apple)
(Image credit: Apple)
The other feature that no folding phone currently offers is an integrated stylus. The closest you’ll get elsewhere is fromSamsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra, or the company’s older Note products – both of which have beenthe best phonesof their time, but neither of which fold in any way.
Where Apple could offer something truly different is in introducing a Pencil Mini (surely with a lowercase ’m', a laiPad) – but integrating this into the foldable’s design. Having a Pencil on hand for unfolded iPhone Fold use would be a game-changer – and a stand-apart feature fromthe best iPhonesto make it truly desirable.
I’d suggest the Pencil Mini only operate with the unfolded product, so that in folded position the iPhone Fold would be just like a normal iPhone. Offering more productivity tools would be the main benefit of a stylus, overlapping somewhat with an iPad’s remit – but in pocketable form so you’d never not have it with you.
In summary
In short, then, I think Apple’s foldable phone needs to look like the best iPhone of the day, without compromise, but the ability to unfold into an iPad Mini scale product. An integrated Pencil Mini would change workflow possibilities on the unfolded screen. And R&D developments would ensure the large display offered the best anti-fingerprint finish for glorious, punchy visuals.
Will any of this happen, though? It’s all rumour and conjecture at the moment. Perhaps it’sentirelya pipedream as, let’s be real, is Apple going to chase its Android competition’s start in a market that’s ultimately only marginal right now? If it can make a product compelling enough to lure iPhone Pro Max users up the price chain then, who knows, perhaps an iPhone Fold will be reality – but I think 2026 is too soon for that.
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