Off the Report
Off the Report is a weekly column written by Android Central’s editor-in-chief. The column seems to increase and go in-depth on subjects within the Android house with none limitations.
A latest report from The Info dropped in late July, indicating that Apple may launch a foldable system as early as 2026. We’ve identified a couple of potential Apple foldable as early as 2021, with a extra definitive rumor circulating final yr. However even when the corporate releases one throughout the subsequent couple of years, would folks be occupied with shopping for an Apple-made foldable?
I made a decision to talk with Victor Hoyos, a 32-year-old long-time iPhone person who just lately converted to the Motorola Razr Plus 2024, and ask whether or not he would swap again to Apple if it made a foldable.
“I’m not going to maneuver,” Hoyos instructed me in an interview.
He believes that Apple is at some extent of maturity with its iPhone and is now attempting to shift gears to have one other wow-factor second with its Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional VR headset.
“They know that their iPhone is mature sufficient, [and] their market is simply not going to develop. And you’ll see it of their telephones. They’re simply very iterative,” he mentioned, including that he additionally thinks if Apple have been to make a foldable, it might probably be in e book type relatively than a flip telephone, and Apple would slap a $2,500 price ticket on it.
Hoyos just lately posted on Reddit asking different long-time Apple customers about their expertise switching to an Android-based telephone and whether or not it was exhausting. Although relearning a brand new system and working system was a problem, he nonetheless mentioned it was “very thrilling.”
“It was pure nostalgia for me. I heard the phrase Razr and…it was the identical stage of awe and pleasure for know-how that I haven’t felt in years,” Hoyos mentioned. “I believe the final time I felt that excited was in all probability the iPhone 5s.
Hoyos isn’t the one one that feels this manner about his iPhone. I additionally spoke with Shepherd Howe, a 16-year-old highschool pupil who switched to an Android in 2020 regardless of residing in an Apple-centric family.
In an interview, Howe mentioned one of many principal causes for switching over was that he felt Android telephones seemed cooler. Whereas he nonetheless has his iPhone, he felt that over time, his iPhone’s efficiency fell wanting that of his Android system.
Like Hoyos, Howe additionally doesn’t assume he’d swap again if Apple made a foldable system.
“I don’t assume I’d swap despite the fact that it might be cool to have a folding telephone that was an iPhone,” he mentioned. “However my remaining reply can be no.”
Apple will nonetheless win if it launches a foldable
Regardless of Hoyos and Howe each strongly stating they’d not swap again to Apple if it created a foldable, there may be nonetheless a big market of people that would nonetheless select Apple.
Alex Mar is a type of folks. In an interview with Derrek Lee, Android Central’s managing editor, Mar, who’s in his early 30s and lives within the Seattle space, mentioned he switched to a Galaxy Z Flip 5 for causes just like Hoyos. He mentioned it introduced a nostalgic feeling, one thing that firms like Motorola have targeted closely on when advertising and marketing their flip telephones.
He additionally revealed that he had a bit of little bit of “iPhone fatigue.” Nevertheless, after a number of months with the Flip, Mar ultimately determined to change again to his iPhone, finally due to the Apple ecosystem.
“In the US, most individuals have iPhones right here. If It have been one other nation the place everybody makes use of WhatsApp, WeChat, or they only use [a] common [messaging service], I’d have caught with Android,” he mentioned.
Extra importantly, Mar mentioned he would “completely get an iPhone flip telephone.”
Counterpoint Analysis knowledge from 2022 recommended that whereas 46% of individuals would purchase a Samsung foldable telephone, 39% would decide a possible Apple foldable over different foldables which are available in the market.
“Foldables have carried out higher in controlling the shift from Android to iOS,” mentioned Hanish Bhatia, affiliate director of North American analysis at Counterpoint Analysis. “Nevertheless, we don’t count on foldables to turn out to be the dominant type issue anytime quickly within the U.S.”
Regardless of the unavailability of an Apple foldable, the info exhibits “lots of pleasure amongst customers for a foldable iPhone,” mentioned Jeff Fieldhack, analysis director of North America at Counterpoint Analysis.
I actually have been a foldable hater for some time now, though not as a result of I don’t assume the shape issue is cool; it is principally as a result of I merely can’t stand the show crease.
However when Lee wrote his Motorola Razr Plus 2024 evaluate, I in some way turned satisfied that Android producers have nearly figured it out. As he writes, “the crease seems and feels even much less noticeable than on the Razr Plus 2023, which is saying one thing.”
If Apple have been to create a foldable telephone, the crease would undoubtedly be one thing the corporate would critically must work on perfecting.
Apple isn’t late to the sport; it’s being strategic
Nevertheless, give credit score the place it’s due. Whereas most individuals would possibly assume Apple is foolish for not having a foldable available in the market but, there’s a very good motive why. The corporate desires to keep away from placing out a shoddy and lackluster product. Possibly the brand new iPhones are iterative in nature, however I do know that if Apple have been to launch a foldable, it’d be a high quality telephone.
Jiitesh Ubrani, analysis supervisor for IDC’s worldwide system tracker, agrees, indicating that “Apple usually isn’t the primary to the sport, nevertheless it does have a tendency to supply a number of the greatest and well-thought options.”
Neil Shah, vice chairman of analysis at Counterpoint Analysis, additionally added that Apple (and sure different producers) take into account many parts earlier than releasing a product.
“It’s a query of getting the product definition, positioning, sturdiness, and expertise proper,” he mentioned. “There are a number of elements, which Apple wants to contemplate earlier than leaping into foldables to keep up the standardization and scale at a world stage from silicon to software program to gadgets.”
So, is Apple too late to the sport, significantly when firms like Samsung are actually of their sixth era of foldable telephones?
“Foldables, even in 2026, will solely account for lower than 3% of the worldwide smartphone volumes (that is assuming solely Android foldables exist). Nevertheless, a folding iPhone can be an effective way for Apple to additional improve common promoting costs and handle an ultra-premium section of the market that’s at present being served by Android manufacturers,” he mentioned.
Within the state of affairs the place Apple decides to have a foldable system, it would probably be a premium telephone and “not one thing that the typical client would afford initially until Apple continues to supply nice trade-in applications or financing choices like they at present do.”
Take the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional, for instance. There are many client VR headsets within the business that don’t value an arm and leg, however Apple determined to launch a $3,500 headset for its first iteration of a brand new system on this class, priced effectively past what a mean client would possibly pay.
Nevertheless, Hoyos, Howe, and Mar all make fascinating factors. Whereas I’m extremely tired of the Apple ecosystem and its lack of ingenuity with newer telephones, I’m intrigued by Apple doubtlessly releasing a foldable.
Nonetheless, I haven’t been enthusiastic about an iPhone for some time now, and I’ve requested myself the identical query: would I swap if Apple launched a foldable?
No.
In the meantime, I’ve been very excited concerning the Android foldable ecosystem. So maybe it’s time for me to formally swap over to Android-based gadgets completely. I’ll depart that story for an additional time.