Trump appears to have shown us why the iPhone Fold will struggle
While Apple has been taking things painfully slow and has warmed up to the idea of launching a foldable iPhone seven years too late, Trump is moving at warp speed in the tech sector, even though that's not his domain. Tell me that's not impressive. Trump recently announced a phone and even a wireless network. So not only is the guy giving you a phone, but also a network for that phone, though, of course, the device won't be locked to that network.
There's even an iPad version of Truth Social, the social media company owned by Trump. Meanwhile, WhatsApp came to the iPad only last month, and Apple still has't convinced Meta to build an Instagram app for the device.
Trump is deeply invested in providing the best experience to his followers. | Image Credit - Mark Gurma
So, while it remains to be seen if the world emerges better off on the other side of the Trump presidency, one thing is for sure: he is already spicing up the tech sector. I am not sure we have been able to say that for Apple in a long time.Remember the time when Apple truly tried? Somewhere along the way, it lost its spark, and while many of us can be accused of the same, we aren't at the helm of a trillion-dollar company.Apple plays it safer than I do when parking a car in a tight spot. And that's no way to do business (or live).
The iPhone Fold , or whatever it ends up being called, isn't expected to have any innovative features. Yes, it might be creaseless, but that's not really an issue with most foldables now.
The only exciting thing about the foldable iPhone would be that it folds. And while that may be enough for iOS users, some of whom are so deep in the Apple ecosystem that the idea of venturing outside is unfathomable, it won't be enough for platform-neutral users.If your only strength is that your users are so loyal (or dependent) that they can't consider alternatives, it's not something to be proud of. It's more like your users have Stockholm syndrome because of you.Loyalties can flip in seconds, as has appeared to have happened with a certain car company in the US.
A render of the T1. | Image Credit - Trump Mobile Before I proceed, please know that this isn't a political post. I am just highlighting what one influential man can learn from another powerful person. Please don't cancel me.
Trump isn't afraid to go all in, even if the likely outcome is failure. The T1 Phone stands no chance against the best phones of today, but it still exists (somewhere in China for now). Cook, on the other hand, has adopted a laid-back approach of late. And it's not helping.
Unlike the Apple Vision Pro, which had the odds stacked against it due to the category still finding its footing, the foldable iPhone has a better chance of succeeding and even converting Android die-hards.
The iPhone Fold needs to be recklessly good and make the case for foldables. Because, frankly speaking, I am struggling to see why they matter at the moment. There's nothing that my conventional phone can't do that a foldable phone does. A phone that unfolds into a tablet would be nice to have for when I am reading or watching a recipe video, but that's about it. Yes, you can set it up like a laptop, but that's nothing more than a party trick.
Given what we know already, the iPhone Fold is barely another foldable phone waiting to be released. What Apple needs is a phone that will shake the industry to its core and will always be on our minds. Like Trump.
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