Technologies
Why Apple Hasn’t Released the iPhone Fold… Yet
Commentary: Apple debuted the iPhone 14 Pro in September, but a foldable iPhone still feels like a longshot.
This story is part of Focal Point iPhone 2022, CNET’s collection of news, tips and advice around Apple’s most popular product.
Apple’s new iPhone 14 line includes some of the biggest hardware updates made in years, including the iPhone 14 Pro’s redesigned cutout for Dynamic Island’s contextual notifications and an iPhone 14 Plus model. But among the changes, Apple has not yet confirmed if a rumored foldable iPhone is in development. This is particularly curious as Samsung continues to refine its foldable phone lineup with the release of the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and the Galaxy Z Fold 4 back in August.
Samsung isn’t the only company making phones with foldable screens. There’s the Motorola Razr. And outside the US, Huawei and Xiaomi also have foldable phones. Which leaves us with an obvious question: Where’s Apple’s foldable iPhone?
Apple doesn’t comment on future products
The first thing to consider is that Apple doesn’t announce products until they’re ready. OK, there was the AirPower wireless charging pad. But otherwise Apple isn’t going to tell us it’s working on a foldable iPhone or confirm rumors.
Next, Apple typically positions products as a solution to a problem, highlighting quality and innovation.
The Galaxy Z Fold seems less like an answer to a problem and more of a «look at this tech wizardry, what can we do with it?!» And the cool-factor, as ingenious as it is, comes at the expense of features we expect from regular phones, including battery life, ergonomics, software experience and price. The Galaxy Z Flip solves the problem of portability, but it comes with some of the same drawbacks as the Fold, particularly around battery life and camera quality.
To be fair, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 took a significant step forward by embracing its large main screen and adding support for Samsung’s S Pen stylus. And the Z Fold 4’s improved Flex Mode for apps seems like it might tip the balance, making the Fold more useful than just cool.
If Apple were to release a foldable iPhone, what problem would it solve? Could it be an iPhone Flip, replacing the iPhone 13 Mini by offering you a big screen that’s still pocket-friendly? Or will it be an iPhone Fold — more like an iPad Mini that folds in half, making its closed size more like the iPhone 13 Pro Max? Or will we see a design that doesn’t exist yet? What about an iPhone Roll, where the screen unrolls like an expanding window shade? That’s where rumors start to enter the picture.
iPhone Fold rumors
Back in January 2021, Mark Gurman wrote for Bloomberg that Apple «has begun early work on an iPhone with a foldable screen, a potential rival to similar devices from Samsung.»
And in May of 2021, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said, as reported by MacRumors, that «Apple will likely launch a foldable iPhone with an 8-inch QHD Plus flexible OLED display in 2023.» He revised his prediction, in a tweet this past April, to say that it might be 2025 before there’s a foldable screen device from Apple. It’s also worth noting that Kuo’s tweet was on April 1, which means it could have been an April Fool’s joke.
Both Gurman and Kuo have excellent track records when it comes to Apple rumors. So if these reports are accurate, we’ll see a foldable iPhone in 2025. It will be about the size of an iPad Mini and it’ll fold in half. End of story. But hold on.
How to make a foldable iPhone
Before Apple makes a foldable iPhone, it has to figure out how to make a foldable iPhone. Research company Omdia claims that in 2021, 11.5 million foldable phones shipped. Apple sells hundreds of millions of iPhones a year. So if it makes a foldable iPhone, it has to be certain that it can manufacture the phones at the same quality and in a high enough quantity to meet demand. More times than not when Apple introduces a radical hardware change — like 2014’s iPhone 6 Plus and its larger screen — those models are hard to find at launch because they sell out quickly. Sometimes they’re given a later release date, as we saw with the iPhone 12 Mini and 12 Pro Max launch.
Then there’s the physical complexity that needs to be considered. Foldable phones have numerous mechanical parts that could malfunction or wear, such as hinge components that keep dust out and the various layers behind the folding screen. In fact, when journalists tested review units of the original Galaxy Fold, the device was plagued by hinge and display failures. That was years ago, of course, and Samsung has since fixed those issues. But it shows what can happen with first-gen products.
If a foldable iPhone is in the works, Apple will likely innovate its design to minimize the parts and mechanisms involved, which should reduce the possibility of the phones failing because something breaks. The Cupertino company has a great track record in this area.
When Apple released the iPhone 7, it replaced the home button with a faux home button so there was one less mechanical part that could possibly break. And if you’ve ever owned or used a MacBook, you know Apple is at the top of its game when it comes to hinge design, and dependability. Apple also sells AppleCare Plus service — and includes a global infrastructure to support it — which could help relieve concerns over problems or accidental damage, should it release a foldable phone.
iOS and iPadOS would need to be revamped
And then there’s the software. One UI, Samsung’s name for its take on Android, has to be the most under-appreciated aspect of the Galaxy Z Flip and Z Fold. These new designs would have to simultaneously do all the things we expect from current phones while also creating new functionality that takes advantage of their folding screens. They’d also have to do all of these things flawlessly without any bugs or hiccups.
For instance, the Galaxy phones’ Flex Mode has been around for years. Essentially, when the Fold or Flip are folded into an L-shape, like a mini laptop, the software shifts an app to the top half of the screen while providing functionality at the bottom. Sounds cool and full of possibilities, right?
Well, until this year that functionality has been limited. That’s why it matters that Samsung’s Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4 let you turn the bottom half of their screens into touchpads while they’re in Flex Mode. The company is now showing an added benefit of the fold.
I’d like to see even more software optimized for foldable phones. And I expect Apple will face the same challenges as Samsung did, especially when adapting iOS and iPadOS.
In recent years, iOS and iPadOS have drifted apart as Apple has created more iPad-specific features that wouldn’t make sense on an iPhone. A foldable iPhone, especially in the style of a Galaxy Z Fold 4, would require a reunion of the two operating systems. Or, Apple would have to develop a new software platform that can morph between a tablet and phone mode.
Apple would likely develop a unique software feature (think iMessage or Portrait Mode) to help make its foldable phone standout from what everyone else is doing.
How much would you pay for a foldable iPhone?
Foldable phones ain’t cheap. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 starts at $1,800 and the Galaxy Z Flip 4 at $1,000. And it’s no surprise that prices for Apple products are at the higher end. So if an iPhone 14 Pro that doesn’t fold in half already costs $1,000, what would be the price for one that does?
For a foldable iPhone to be successful, Apple would need to create a problem-solving design, scale manufacturing without sacrificing quality and develop hardware along with software that make the most of its foldable build. The price would also have to be premium, but not too high.
So where’s the foldable iPhone? Still in the oven.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, Oct. 25
Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 25.
Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It’s the longest one of the week, and some of the answers are tricky. Read on for help. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.
If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword
Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.
Mini across clues and answers
1A clue: Sword go-with
Answer: SHIELD
7A clue: Hamburger or Frankfurter, for example
Answer: GERMAN
8A clue: Sticky stuff on bark
Answer: TREESAP
10A clue: Hotel room pricing
Answer: RATE
11A clue: Classic arcade game of hopping between obstacles
Answer: FROGGER
14A clue: The «W» of the W.N.B.A.
Answer: WOMENS
15A clue: Looked after a pup
Answer: DOGSAT
Mini down clues and answers
1D clue: Drill instructor’s rank: Abbr.
Answer: SGT
2D clue: «___ Loss» (#1 album for Drake and 21 Savage)
Answer: HER
3D clue: Fury
Answer: IRE
4D clue: Appears on the scene
Answer: EMERGES
5D clue: Dish layered like this: sheet of noodles, sauce, cheese, repeat
Answer: LASAGNA
6D clue: Genetic screening procedure
Answer: DNATEST
9D clue: «As ___ my last email …»
Answer: PER
11D clue: Subject line abbreviation
Answer: FWD
12D clue: Aussie marsupial, for short
Answer: ROO
13D clue: «No wayyyy!»
Answer: OMG
Technologies
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Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Oct. 25, #397
Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Oct. 25, No. 397.
Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.
Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a fun one. It helps if you’re familiar with the athletes of the Pacific Northwest. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.
Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.
Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta
Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: When you get hurt.
Green group hint: Beaver State.
Blue group hint: Not surnames, but…
Purple group hint: Think oxygen.
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Worn after an injury.
Green group: An Oregon athlete.
Blue group: First names of USWNT players.
Purple group: Air ____.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is worn after an injury. The four answers are brace, cast, sling and splint.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is an Oregon athlete. The four answers are Beaver, Duck Thorn and Timber.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is first names of USWNT players. The four answers are Lily, Rose, Sam and Trinity.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is air ____. The four answers are ball, bud, force and hockey.
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