I think both ecosystems most often have people switching when the other side has something new. I suspect this foldable is coming in under the expected price of the new iPhone fold and is there to make sure people have a flagship-priced option if they get foldable mania. Very few of these products are trying to steal people away (the rare exceptions might be the previous gen high-end foldable phones that are android-only so far).
The Samsung Galaxy S (the top range) sells between 25 to 35 million units per year.
Sure, it's not iPhones number, which are around 8 to 9 times higher but Samsung has to compete in a huge Android ecosystem, whereas the iOS one has only one offering series per year.
The Galaxy S has always been a very solid product line.
Man, they are cool, but I need at least a decade of clearly reliable functioning in the real world before I believe that those foldable screens aren't going to just break.
Samsung has done it again. They've been making foldable phones in a certain screen ratio and somehow this year they decided to change it to match the unreleased iPhone fold.
I saw a post on X.com that shows the Samsung's internal screen has the same size and aspect ratio of the iPad mini gens 1~5. Going to be such a slam dunk when Apple releases theirs.
I think the iPhone's one (based on the leaks anyway) will be slightly smaller, but I still think it's going to be a popular device. Especially with Apple's experience from iPad OS, it's going to be like two devices in one.
I'm bitterly disappointed with the shape (aspect ratio) of that front screen, if the one on the iPhone Ultra is likely to be similar.
I got my hopes unrealistically high based on a single comment I saw somewhere here on HN, that if Apple already had a nice small screen lying around they might decide they may as well use it to make a small phone again.
I don't think there's much to be done with something that shape for the only screen on a phone.
After WWDC, I predict another flood of iPhone Mini battery replacements. Dozens!
I was a bit skeptical on this form factor, but after watching a few reviews I think I'm convinced. The heart says yes, bank balance says definitely no.
I think with Apple's software optimization, it'll be a really solid device. The only thing I'd be missing are the Pro level cameras.
I wonder if it will work well as a "travel" computer? I could see leaving my laptop at home and taking this and a keyboard? Also it looks like it would be fabulous as an e-reader too, so I can drop Kindle and replace with keyboard in the bag.
That said I don't want to carry it or use it as my daily driver phone as I try not to use a phone in general...
It probably could. Wait till the 3rd generation where it will eventually end up growing in size such that unfolded it'll be equivalent in size to an 11" iPad.
I already remote into my Mac from my iPad using Mirage by Ethan Lipnik. Would be amazing being able to do that from an iPhone foldable!
It is a form factor that looks silly at first but is really nice once you have it. But yes, the price for access to this is just too high for a lot of people.
Yeah, initially my skepticism was around the fact that the front screen wouldn't be useful for day-to-day 'normal' smartphone things (messaging, scrolling X etc), and the inner screen would be too small for any of the 'tablet' benefits.
But the reviews seem to suggest the front screen is actually very usable, and you get back some of the old smartphone one hand reachability, and the inner screen looks very versatile for media and side by side apps.