No matter how you feel about the iPhone Duo and its exorbitant $1,999 price, its existence proves that Apple has finally figured out how to make a foldable. And on a broader level, it also shows that Apple isn’t too proud to follow in the footsteps of Samsung and other Android phone makers. If that’s the case, I’m hoping Apple also isn’t afraid to copy Samsung’s smaller Z Flip phones, which flip down horizontally, and larger devices like Lenovo’s X1 Fold and ASUS’s ZenBook Fold 17. An “iPhone Flip” could potentially satisfy people demanding a new iPhone Mini, and a future foldable iPad Pro could truly differentiate that tablet from the increasingly capable iPad Air.
This all seems obvious, of course. Now that Apple has shown it can develop ultra-thin device connected by a sturdy hinge, it should be easier for the company to scale its designs smaller and larger. I’m just hoping it doesn’t take forever. After all, it took Apple nearly seven years to finally respond to the Galaxy Z Fold (which, admittedly, was practically a beta product for its first few generations). What better way for Apple’s new CEO, John Ternus, to follow up the iPhone Duo’s debut than with a smaller iPhone Flip next year? And given how both ASUS and Lenovo have been slow to improve their large foldable tablets, there’s room for Apple to truly innovate in that space.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
What would an “iPhone Flip” look like? Apple wouldn’t have to stray far from the template laid out by Samsung and others. Take an iPhone 17, then imagine casually folding the top down, just like how we used to close older cellphones. Also like Samsung’s devices, an iPhone Flip would need a small external display to glance at notifications and handle basic tasks, like taking a selfie with its rear cameras.
Such a design wouldn’t be an exotic innovation for Apple. Small foldables have been around for six years now; they’ve been practically normalized. They typically cost half as much as large foldable smartphones (and in many cases even less). Anecdotally, I’ve also noticed many “normie” smartphone users toting the Z Flip or Moto Razr, whereas I rarely see the Z Fold being used by non-techies.
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