Demand for folding iPhone is small but real

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Folding iPhone is here! Too bad there's only one.
People want this.
Photo: KJMX

There’s a bit more demand for a folding iPhone than skeptics realize. A new survey found almost a third of U.S. smartphone users say they are highly likely to get a foldable as their next device.

And lots of those people want one from Apple.

More people want a folding iPhone than haters might expect

Folding Androids have been on the market for years. Samsung bungled the launch of its first model, and they remain a niche product, often very expensive. Many iPhone users dismiss the whole idea of a handset with a folding screen as a silly fad.

But a recent survey done in the United States by Counterpoint Research found that, “28% of current smartphone users are highly likely to prefer a foldable smartphone as their next purchase.” Of the group that wants a foldable, 39% say they’d prefer one made by Apple.

A quick bit of math shows that demand for a folding iPhone isn’t huge — 39% of 28% of the total is 11%. But that’s surly more interest that the people who immediately reject the whole idea realize.

Especially considering Apple hasn’t announced a foldable iOS device. Demand for one would almost certainly increase once Tim Cook and Co. start advertising the iPhone Fold.

And Counterpoint’s survey shows what type Apple should be prepping. Nearly half of respondents who want a foldable prefer one that opens like a classic flip phone. Only 35% indicated they prefer a handset that opens to be a small tablet.

Apple is undoubtedly working on a foldable design

There can be no room for doubt Apple has engineers working on devices with folding screens. The company periodically patents designs for exactly that. Over the years, Apple has received patents on crease-free displays, hinge designs and bendable batteries.

The logic behind a folding iPhone is clear. People undoubtedly want bigger smartphone screens. Apple’s largest model is its bestselling. But at 6.7 inches, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is about as big as a phone can get without becoming too bulky. In contrast, a handset with a foldable display can offer more screen area than a current iPhone while still being pocketable.

On the other side of the coin, the tech isn’t completely ready. Cupertino seems unlikely to introduce a folding iPhone until one can be made without a visible crease, and even Samsung’s $1,800 Galaxy Z Fold 4 has a crease.

It’s also possible Apple will make a macOS notebook with a huge, foldable display before it makes a flexible iPhone. The MacBook Fold is supposedly on the docket for 2027.

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