Apple's perfectionism is setting up the long-awaited first foldable iPhone for failure
Is there such a thing as a flawless smartphone? Not that I know of, and I'm sure both the most hardcore iPhone fans and the most devoted Android enthusiasts around will be quick to agree with me and point to the "obvious" weaknesses of the best devices from the other camp as proof. But if Apple hasn't been able to design the perfect iPhone after 18 years of uninterrupted refinement work, why does the Cupertino-based tech giant insist on endlessly polishing its rookie foldable effort behind closed doors? Okay, I admit I might be exaggerating there just a teensy bit, although it's hard to deny that foldable phones are in trouble around the world after an explosive start only a few years ago. Back in 2022, for instance, global shipments jumped from 9 million units the year before to a 16 million talfly, with the number then expected to rise to 26 million the following year.
But instead of that big increase, the thriving market segment only ended up posting an uptick to around 18 million unit sales in 2023. Weirdly enough, I can't find a reliable global figure for 2024, which makes me fairly certain that those 25 million analyst predictions at the beginning of the year haven't panned out.
This is just one of many iPhone Fold concepts floating around the interwebs these last couple of years. | Image Credit -- Apple Insider What I can find are a few different reports anticipating a 2025 decline in foldable smartphone demand, which is clearly not what companies like Samsung, Huawei, Motorola, Honor, Oppo, Vivo, and Google had expected to happen at this stage in the market's evolution.
I'm willing to bet that this trend isn't making Apple happy either, as it could put a lot of pressure on the first-gen " iPhone Fold " to save the foldable landscape from ruin. We all know that's not going to happen at the flick of a switch, but at the same time, Cupertino simply cannot afford to waste much more time and risk entering the market when no one cares about or believes in foldables anymore. In an ideal world, Apple would swoop in, blow all our minds with the invisible crease, stunning overall design, and cutting-edge specifications of its first-ever foldable iPhone, thus forcing Samsung to instantly up its game too and roll out a massively upgraded Galaxy Z Fold 8.
Everyone from Huawei to Google would then follow suit with incredible advancements of their own, making us all buy a high-end foldable by 2027. Unfortunately, that's where you need to stop dreaming with your eyes open and envision such utopian scenes because the truth is the iPhone Fold will probably not blow many minds no matter how much time Apple spends preparing the device for its already long overdue launch.
The flawed but undeniably great Galaxy Z Fold 6 is proof that Samsung has come a long way since 2019. | Image Credit -- PhoneArena
And that's perfectly fine by me because I understand how first-gen products work. Remember 2019's disastrous original Galaxy Fold? Granted, times are different now, and the level of expectations is much higher, but... Apple only has itself to blame for that.
Even in 2025, the company could have released a foldable iPhone that would have probably been relatively well-received as long as it didn't break after the first few days of use. I honestly hope that will remain the case next year, and for the sake of the entire foldable market, I really hope Apple won't delay this launch beyond 2026.
I know that this is not the "Apple way" or whatever, but the company has to throw its hat in the ring ASAP regardless of production challenges or quality issues. Obviously, I'm not saying that the iPhone Fold should be released without due diligence, but as long as it turns on, doesn't break very easily, and it does all the things a "conventional" iPhone can do in a sleek new package, Apple should probably pull the trigger before it's too late... and start working on a refined sequel. Otherwise, this project could end up suffering the same fate as the AirPods Max or, even worse, the Vision Pro, neither of which have received a sequel or blown many minds after spending years and years in development hell. Secure your connection now at a bargain price!
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