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Iphone Apple

Apple Plans Thinner, Foldable iPhones To Revive Growth (msn.com) 61

Posted by msmash from the up-next dept.
Apple is preparing a series of major design and format changes to its lineup of iPhones and potentially other products, according to WSJ, a bid to revive growth after years of offering largely incremental upgrades. From the report: Starting next year, Apple plans to introduce an iPhone that will be thinner than the approximately 8-millimeter profile of current models, said people familiar with the company's plans. The model is intended to be cheaper than Pro models, with a simplified camera system to reduce costs.

The company is also planning two foldable devices, the people said. A larger device, intended to serve as a laptop, would have a screen that unfolds to be nearly as large as some desktop monitors, at about 19 inches. A smaller model would unfold to a display size that would be larger than an iPhone 16 Pro Max, intended to serve as a foldable iPhone, the people said.

Both foldable designs have been in development for years, but some key parts weren't ready. Major challenges included improving the hinge, a mechanism that allows the device to fold and unfold, and the display cover, a flexible material protecting the foldable screen. Current foldable phones on the market aren't thin, light or energy-efficient enough to meet Apple's standards, which is why Apple has been slower to enter this segment, said Jeff Pu, an analyst with Hong Kong-based brokerage Haitong International Securities.

Apple Plans Thinner, Foldable iPhones To Revive Growth More | Reply

Apple Plans Thinner, Foldable iPhones To Revive Growth

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  • "...as long as it folds and fits under a bed." (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Pseudonymous Powers ( 4097097 ) on Monday December 16, 2024 @10:38AM (#65016849)
    I think the long-running cycle of people buying a new iPhone every year to maintain its status-symbol, uh, status, is probably, finally, beginning to draw to a close, thank Jah. Only took, like, 16 years.

    • I think the long-running cycle of people buying a new iPhone every year to maintain its status-symbol, uh, status, is probably, finally, beginning to draw to a close, thank Jah. Only took, like, 16 years.

      And who are these people? Most people I know buy phones when the phones are too old to hold a charge. That includes iPhones and Androids.

      • Well, every teenager since 2010, for starters.

        • Re:"...as long as it folds and fits under a bed." (Score:4, Insightful)

          by UnknowingFool ( 672806 ) on Monday December 16, 2024 @11:09AM (#65016957)
          Most teenagers I know get their parent's old phone. Occasionally some of save up their own money for a phone. They are not buying a new one every year.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by Holi ( 250190 )

            So where do all the teens with new iPhones get them if most teenagers get hand me downs? You did say your personal experience involves most teenagers in America didn't you?

            • Apple made about 207.05 billion U.S. dollars from selling phones in the last four reported quarters. This totals to approximately 212.2 million iPhone units sold over the last year. At some point, we're going to have to agree that a product is as successful as it globally can be.
            • My point that you missed is they are not "new" as in brand new. They are new to them if they are handed down. Second, I said I know teenagers who buy their own phones, but they are not buying a new one every year unlike the OP contends. Even then, some of them are not buying "new" but refurbished models. They get a new one every few years. Just like every other consumer I know. And yes that includes teenagers in America. The only people I see with new phones every year are "influencers" and reviewers. Revie

          • You clearly don't know many teenagers.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by tlhIngan ( 30335 )

            Most teenagers I know get their parent's old phone. Occasionally some of save up their own money for a phone. They are not buying a new one every year.

            I think it's the opposite - the teenager gets the new phone, and the parents inherit the teen's old phone. Most parents I know are just happy to get something reasonably current, and don't really care about having the latest and greatest. Then the other parent gets the first parent's old phone because they really don't care about having the latest phone.

    • Dunno about that. For some of them it nearly started last year. ArchieBunker was livid when the lightning cable went away and swore he was done buying more, but then another Apple ad rolled and he adores apple so much that he just couldn't stay mad at them.

    • Honestly, I think that cycle ended about 4 years ago. The last 4 or 5 iPhone models have all looked so similar that you can't really tell that you upgraded at all without a much closer look.

      I mean, if you look at an iPhone Pro Max 11 next to an iPhone Pro Max 16 you're going to struggle to tell the difference at a distance.

      • Honestly, I think that cycle ended about 4 years ago.

        Then you would have been disappointed 3 years ago when iPhones outsold the volume of 5 years ago. There was a dip in 2020. There's been several dips here and there, but the industry started riding highs shortly after again.

        • Honestly, I think that cycle ended about 4 years ago.

          Then you would have been disappointed 3 years ago when iPhones outsold the volume of 5 years ago. There was a dip in 2020. There's been several dips here and there, but the industry started riding highs shortly after again.

          Based on new features, iPhones haven't really evolved much over the last few years. However, sales have not dropped, staying at close to $200 billion per year and over 230 million devices per year over the last few years. We're geeks, so we judge devices based on specs and features. However, most consumers either don't base buying decisions on specs and features or are easily impressed by what geeks would consider to be non-features. Things like device thickness, color schemes, notches followed by not n

    • Is it though? Apple has reported "slumps" like this several times before. It happens. Sometime a phone doesn't sell as well as the model in the previous year. I hope you're right but you may be celebrating prematurely.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by dbialac ( 320955 )
      I've owned 4 Z Flip phones. I liked the original Z Flip, the 3 (there was no 2), and the 4. I had the 5 and didn't care for it. The whole idea of a flip phone is twofold (no pun intended):
      • It fits better in your pocket unless you have ultra skinny jeans, but those jeans already fold your phone, just in an unwanted manner.
      • Prior to the 5, it's more durable. You can drop it even if it doesn't have a case and it won't break. I still have and use my original Z Flip for a second line, which was dropped by nurse

    • I think the long-running cycle of people buying a new iPhone every year...

      I know a lot of iPhone users, zero of them do this. Maybe you're thinking of the good ol' days while we were all under contract and phone upgrades were subsidized.

    • I don't know anyone, not even the "techbros" who cycle their phones out every year. Maybe in 18-24 months, as often that is when payments are up. I remember in the past, when smartphones actually started getting cool stuff, upgrading yearly meant something, but these days, most people won't really care, provided the phone is fast enough for daily usage.

      • Yeah like in the late 90s upgrading or replacing your desktop regularly had noticeable improvements, and until recently phones did to some extent but its all flat now. There's guys on Reddit that apparently will use the trade in promotions to swap between the latest Galaxy Fold and Ultra every 6 months but I think that's more for novelty than conspicuous consumption. The last phone I'd had anyone commented on was a Surface Duo, which was as much due to its rarity than anything else. Even something more v
  • 2020 would be very proud of you Apple!
  • courage and innovation rolling out of apple. Impressive

  • Make Them Thicker and Add to Battery Life (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Too Late for Cool ID ( 1794870 ) on Monday December 16, 2024 @10:56AM (#65016923)
    Not an iPhone user, but I'd be willing to bet that if Apple added a couple of millimeters to iPhone thickness dedicated entirely to more battery, people would love it.

    • Make the whole thing as thick as the camera, make it the size of the old mini models.
      I'll 100% buy one.

      • Mini's sales were pitiful.

      • I'm holding on to my Mini until it physically stops working, or Apple releases a new one in that size. I'd be perfectly happy with it being a little thicker too, especially if it increased battery life. I have no desire for any of the new features Apple has pushed out since my phone came out that require a newer phone.

    • Pro models should be thick...honestly, thicker. (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Somervillain ( 4719341 ) on Monday December 16, 2024 @11:40AM (#65017029)

      Not an iPhone user, but I'd be willing to bet that if Apple added a couple of millimeters to iPhone thickness dedicated entirely to more battery, people would love it.

      Agreed! Traditionally, pro means sacrificing convenience for performance, durability, and other things that matter to professionals. NO ONE is asking for a thinner phone. Our current phones are thin enough...any thinner and they just bend and break more easily...which Apple certainly wants, but no user does....this is like their "courageous" decision to remove the headphone jack. It makes a lot more sense to make a pro model 1mm or 2mm thicker and double the battery...charge more...and the users will be delighted...especially male ones. A big, burly phone is macho and will be a hit with the "bros"...especially if the processor is faster and you have 2 day battery life...give it a replaceable, rugged, shock-proof case and it'll be an even bigger hit. Make a thinner phone and I just have to buy a thicker case to protect it...because life happens. I have kids, a dog, and many reasons why my phone has been dropped, knocked out of my hand, or knocked off a table.

      I envy anyone whose life allows for a thinner phone.

      • Re:Pro models should be thick...honestly, thicker. (Score:4, Insightful)

        by dfghjk ( 711126 ) on Monday December 16, 2024 @01:38PM (#65017405)

        "Traditionally, pro means sacrificing convenience for performance, durability, and other things that matter to professionals."

        Not with Apple it doesn't. With Apple, Pro means fully bought in.

        An Apple Pro user does the same thing as an Apple Pleb user, except with his nose 5mm higher in the air. For this, an iPhone Pro needs to be thinner, not thicker.

        "Make a thinner phone and I just have to buy a thicker case to protect it...because life happens. I have kids, a dog, and many reasons why my phone has been dropped, knocked out of my hand, or knocked off a table."

        Your mistake is thinking Apple cares about your use case. Hell, you probably don't even wear skinny jeans.

        • "Traditionally, pro means sacrificing convenience for performance, durability, and other things that matter to professionals."

          Not with Apple it doesn't. With Apple, Pro means fully bought in.

          An Apple Pro user does the same thing as an Apple Pleb user, except with his nose 5mm higher in the air. For this, an iPhone Pro needs to be thinner, not thicker.

          "Make a thinner phone and I just have to buy a thicker case to protect it...because life happens. I have kids, a dog, and many reasons why my phone has been dropped, knocked out of my hand, or knocked off a table."

          Your mistake is thinking Apple cares about your use case. Hell, you probably don't even wear skinny jeans.

          You're right...I wear fatass dad jeans...I get your joke, although Apple does have a long history of "air" being skinny and pro being chunky, greater warranty, etc.

          In a lot of ways, Apple is the victim of their own success. You can get by with a lot more hipster shit when you're just a luxury device. However, they're dominating the phone, laptop, and tablet market in the US...in the case of Tablets, by an overwhelming margin....so they have to cater to corporate customers now.

          I think under Tim Coo

      • I envy anyone whose life allows for a thinner phone.

        I don't. Arguably, my life DOES allow for a thinner phone. But I have a thick chunky case on mine anyway - not for protection, but for usability. I'm a life-long frequent user of hand tools, and I'm used to soldering small components, so my manual dexterity is better than average. Yet I find ultra-slim phones to be a PITA to handle and use.

    • Not an iPhone user, but I'd be willing to bet that if Apple added a couple of millimeters to iPhone thickness dedicated entirely to more battery, people would love it.

      I don't think an iPhone user who relishes in owning form over function designed devices will typically agree with that sentiment. How many idiots ran out and raved about an iPhone 4 with a glass back (was it the 4?) without thinking of the travesty that would be if dropped at any angle - not just with the screen facing the floor.

      I think there's a far larger group out there who will lap up what marketing tell them is The New Thing (TM).

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by dfghjk ( 711126 )

        Apple has never, ever cared about providing high function to a broad spectrum of use cases. If you don't land square in the middle of their imagined need, FU.

        Apple made iPods that didn't even turn off and couldn't provide enough battery for a transoceanic flight. Did they care? Fuck no. Did they fix it? Fuck no.

        Apple will NEVER increase the size of a product to improve function. They introduced the MacBook Air with wildly inadequate internal storage and only one USB port, then marketed it to photograp

        • Their profitability suggests they know what they are doing. Iâ(TM)m a mini user. Thatâ(TM)s a time they listened to a few of us clamoring loudly, but there are too few of us alas. Like the other user, I wonâ(TM)t upgrade until I must. And Iâ(TM)ll still buy an apple because, while I donâ(TM)t care about being elite, I do care about aesthetics, especially of the ui, and no one comes close to apple for my eye (ahem).

    • I'd be willing to bet that if Apple added a couple of millimeters to iPhone thickness dedicated entirely to more battery, people would love it.

      Apple phone battery life is already really good, so making them larger and more chunky for a slight improvement I don't think would be welcome at all.

  • Judging from past experience, every time Apple makes the iPhone thinner, people buy it.

    The iPhone you roll up and tuck behind your ear is slated for 2030 at this rate.

  • Who wants this ? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by nehumanuscrede ( 624750 ) on Monday December 16, 2024 @11:31AM (#65017001)

    I would much rather have:

    1) User removable / replaceable battery
    2) User removable storage ( via micro SD )
    3) Give me back the headphone jack

    • Apple is going to do none of those things.

    • Then you are not Apple's target demographic, and you should look to other manufacturers to fulfill your product needs.

      I don't know why that's not an acceptable answer. If they aren't making a product that fits, don't buy it.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Jeremi ( 14640 )

        I am in Apple's target demographic -- I've been buying and using iPhones since 2008 -- and I think my current iPhone is the perfect thickness; there is no benefit to making it thinner. If I had a choice between a new iPhone that was thinner or a new iPhone that was the same thickness but longer battery life, I'd choose the latter.

      • You're going to struggle to find alternate vendors who aren't removing things like removable storage and headphone jacks to make their flagship phones thinner. Most vendors are just following Apple's lead, and incorporating their dumb design decisions into most of their own products to make themselves look culturally relevant.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by leptons ( 891340 )
          Other vendors should really focus on what separates them from Apple. People who don't want Apple, don't want to buy a phone modeled after Apple's design decisions, otherwise they'd have bought an iphone. I want a removable battery. I want an SD Card. I want a headphone jack. I am utterly discontented by all phone offerings from all vendors. Give me back a physical slide-out or fold-out keyboard too. I honestly don't care how thin a phone is as long as it fits into my pants pocket, which has so much room I c

    • Almost everyone else wants this. Your needs and desires are not everyone's. For example I would like 2 and 3 but don't have the faintest interest in 1 since getting someone to replace a battery is cheap and trivial.

      That said you are asking the wrong question. It's not a question of "who wants this?", it's a question of "who accepts what they are told they want?". Marketing exists to create wants, and the answer for who falls for marketing is ... well nearly everyone.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by leptons ( 891340 )
        >For example I would like 2 and 3 but don't have the faintest interest in 1 since getting someone to replace a battery is cheap and trivial.

        Replacing a battery isn't only for when the battery is broken - it's an instant way to get back to 100% charge by swapping in a fully charged battery. I used to do this all the time when travelling when I was not able to plug in and charge the phone. I would carry 2 or 3 extra fully charged batteries with me, which allowed me to continue using the phone without nee
    • Meh, the typical Slashdot comment.
      I have never needed to replace a battery on any phone I have owned either Apple or Android.
      What are you all doing to your phones where you have the incessant need to replace a battery?

      • We keep them longer than a year.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by leptons ( 891340 )
        When I was travelling off-grid and didn't have time to plug in a phone and keep it tethered to a charger, I would carry a few extra batteries with me, which were very small compared to the brick-like external battery packs we see today. I could just swap in a fully charged battery and continue using my device without the inconvenience of having a cord attached to the phone to recharge it. Sometimes on some excursions it's just not practical to have a phone tethered to a charger, and having an easily replace

    • You are not allowed to replace the battery. (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Fly Swatter ( 30498 ) on Monday December 16, 2024 @01:07PM (#65017323) Homepage
      Apple knows that most of their repeat customer sales are because the owner is 'upgrading' to a new battery with usable life and not to a thinner case or slightly faster clock or screen.

    • User removable means increased manufacturing costs and higher price. Headphone jack compromises water resistance and is useless for the vast majority of people because they use bluetooth. Not saying you're alone in wanting those things, but they do have significant downsides.

    • I would much rather have:

      1) User removable / replaceable battery
      2) User removable storage ( via micro SD )
      3) Give me back the headphone jack

      That's pretty much just you though.

      If people wanted any of those things, lots of phones would offer them. Instead virtually none do.

  • there was howling and gnashing of the teeth everywhere. Apple sold the leftover 17" MacBooks at a reduced price as "refurbished". Took over a year until they were all gone.

    I've got a 16" MacBookPro. I like the big screen, but the MacBook is big and heavy. I'd be curious what a 19" MacBook would do.

    If it had a huge battery for longer battery life, and perhaps empty space to add two external SSD drives, that would make it interesting. (Two USB-C cables just long enough to handle an external drive).

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by dfghjk ( 711126 )

      "...there was howling and gnashing of the teeth everywhere."

      Was there? Because I don't think there was.

      I hated it for sure, but then I believe Pro machines should actually have features for Pros. Remember when laptops had bays for multiple batteries and hard drives, because those were features were valuable to pros? If you were an Apple user, no you don't. But PCs had them, because PC's weren't for posers.

  • How thin is too thin?
    Discuss among yourselves.

    My phone is anorexic. Eat your hearts out.

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