Discussion - I don’t think the foldable iPhone stands a chance against the Galaxy Z Fold 8

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NatPriCom
NatPriCom
Arena Apprentice
• 14h ago

"One reason is the asymmetrical front side when the phone is folded."


Now that was and still my primary reason why i never considered buying a book-style foldable since 2019 even if it is from Samsung or Google - but i did had a Flip6 and Flip7 but then I went back to S26 Ultra.

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Byron
Byron
Arena Apprentice
• 12h ago

You could not be more wrong. And I say this as I type on my Fold 7. The ONLY limit that is legit is the availability. Demand will be through the roof. You dismiss the biggest component apart from the notorious Apple ecosystem.


Apple alone is a "status" brand. There is a huge segment for whom high price is a "feature" not a "bug". It will be THE PHONE of celebrity. That will trickle down to the vast majority of people of means, then to poser average people who have no business paying that much for a phone. Not everyone can afford a Lamborghini, but most can buy a 2000 phone if they really want to. Do you think leasing just showed up as a coincidence? Nah, Apple is going to push this as a luxury device, and ONLY THEY can make it work. You think it is ugly? I would disagree, but I tell you no matter how much tech reviews dog it, the status conscious will believe it gorgeous, no matter the lack of symmetry.


They Galaxy Fold 8 is in my view perhaps the most beautiful phone EVER in my opinion. But I would suggest that Samsung flagship phones are objectively better looking than iPhones since the S7. For Apple folks, asymmetric as it might be, its looks are unmistakeably iPhone.


Android folks are practical. A small number of us pay big money for FEATURES that we value. Most have no desire to drop that kind of coin on a phone even if they can afford it


People are wowed by Folds true. But most Apple folks don't want one until Apple makes one.


While the Fold 8 is breaking records DESPITE an installed base of Fold users, can you imagine the demand among a pool that has no installed base?


And here is another reason why the iPhone will crush. While still a status device it has gotten too common. The status is less "look at me I have an iPhone", but more "I would never be seen with an Android". When any peasent has one, there is less shine. And it is simply boring. When you can buy a iPhone 18 Pro and it looks hardly different than a 13 Pro and you need to buy whatever garish color they release this year to replace that ugly orange just so people know it is the latest, there is pent up demand for something genuinely different.


That iPhones success will have nothing to do with whether the Fold is a better phone, or whether the Fold is better looking. They could sell it for 2500, and if the stock is there, it will outsell the Fold 8 and 8 Ultra combined. This is because ecosystem, status, lease options, and zero existing user base will create a demand for this phone that has never been seen in a foldable. Mark my words


This will be the first "splash" release since the iPhone X. Demand will be through the roof. The only limit is the one point I agree with. Inventory issues.

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sgodsell
sgodsell
Arena Legend
• 2h ago
↵Byron said:

You could not be more wrong. And I say this as I type on my Fold 7. The ONLY limit that is legit is the availability. Demand will be through the roof. You dismiss the biggest component apart from the notorious Apple ecosystem.


Apple alone is a "status" brand. There is a huge segment for whom high price is a "feature" not a "bug". It will be THE PHONE of celebrity. That will trickle down to the vast majority of people of means, then to poser average people who have no business paying that much for a phone. Not everyone can afford a Lamborghini, but most can buy a 2000 phone if they really want to. Do you think leasing just showed up as a coincidence? Nah, Apple is going to push this as a luxury device, and ONLY THEY can make it work. You think it is ugly? I would disagree, but I tell you no matter how much tech reviews dog it, the status conscious will believe it gorgeous, no matter the lack of symmetry.


They Galaxy Fold 8 is in my view perhaps the most beautiful phone EVER in my opinion. But I would suggest that Samsung flagship phones are objectively better looking than iPhones since the S7. For Apple folks, asymmetric as it might be, its looks are unmistakeably iPhone.


Android folks are practical. A small number of us pay big money for FEATURES that we value. Most have no desire to drop that kind of coin on a phone even if they can afford it


People are wowed by Folds true. But most Apple folks don't want one until Apple makes one.


While the Fold 8 is breaking records DESPITE an installed base of Fold users, can you imagine the demand among a pool that has no installed base?


And here is another reason why the iPhone will crush. While still a status device it has gotten too common. The status is less "look at me I have an iPhone", but more "I would never be seen with an Android". When any peasent has one, there is less shine. And it is simply boring. When you can buy a iPhone 18 Pro and it looks hardly different than a 13 Pro and you need to buy whatever garish color they release this year to replace that ugly orange just so people know it is the latest, there is pent up demand for something genuinely different.


That iPhones success will have nothing to do with whether the Fold is a better phone, or whether the Fold is better looking. They could sell it for 2500, and if the stock is there, it will outsell the Fold 8 and 8 Ultra combined. This is because ecosystem, status, lease options, and zero existing user base will create a demand for this phone that has never been seen in a foldable. Mark my words


This will be the first "splash" release since the iPhone X. Demand will be through the roof. The only limit is the one point I agree with. Inventory issues.

You clearly are not a developer. The Apple app ecosystem is really good. However you are completely wrong when it comes to Apple's app ecosystem, especially when it comes to foldables. You need one app that supports both types of screens. None of Apples developers currently make apps for such a device. Plus Apple still to this day encourages their developers to make separate apps for iPhones and iPads. So if, and when Apple creates a foldable that will be and iPhone and iPad in one foldable device, then how will that actually work again? It won't, this is why I have said all along that Apple can make a foldable, but it will be strickly an iPhone, like the Flip type foldables that are currently found on Android platoform.

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sgodsell
sgodsell
Arena Legend
• 2h ago

Still no one from Phonearena will ever tackle Apple's app ecosystem problem, because if you want an iPhone to compete with any of the current Android foldables. Especially the non flip type foldables, then Apple has to address their own app ecosystem, and get their own developers to create iPhone apps that will automatically switch over to iPad style screen, and work on iPhone screens as well. Not to mention these new apps have to be able to switch back, and forth from iPhone to iPad, and then switch back again. Plus it has to do this many, many times, and not fail. Now I know Phonearena people are not very technical when it comes to app development. So I don't expect them to address any of these issues. But Apple themselves hasn't said how they are going to address this major app software issue.

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Nokfan1603
Nokfan1603
Arena Apprentice
• 1h ago
↵Byron said:

You could not be more wrong. And I say this as I type on my Fold 7. The ONLY limit that is legit is the availability. Demand will be through the roof. You dismiss the biggest component apart from the notorious Apple ecosystem.


Apple alone is a "status" brand. There is a huge segment for whom high price is a "feature" not a "bug". It will be THE PHONE of celebrity. That will trickle down to the vast majority of people of means, then to poser average people who have no business paying that much for a phone. Not everyone can afford a Lamborghini, but most can buy a 2000 phone if they really want to. Do you think leasing just showed up as a coincidence? Nah, Apple is going to push this as a luxury device, and ONLY THEY can make it work. You think it is ugly? I would disagree, but I tell you no matter how much tech reviews dog it, the status conscious will believe it gorgeous, no matter the lack of symmetry.


They Galaxy Fold 8 is in my view perhaps the most beautiful phone EVER in my opinion. But I would suggest that Samsung flagship phones are objectively better looking than iPhones since the S7. For Apple folks, asymmetric as it might be, its looks are unmistakeably iPhone.


Android folks are practical. A small number of us pay big money for FEATURES that we value. Most have no desire to drop that kind of coin on a phone even if they can afford it


People are wowed by Folds true. But most Apple folks don't want one until Apple makes one.


While the Fold 8 is breaking records DESPITE an installed base of Fold users, can you imagine the demand among a pool that has no installed base?


And here is another reason why the iPhone will crush. While still a status device it has gotten too common. The status is less "look at me I have an iPhone", but more "I would never be seen with an Android". When any peasent has one, there is less shine. And it is simply boring. When you can buy a iPhone 18 Pro and it looks hardly different than a 13 Pro and you need to buy whatever garish color they release this year to replace that ugly orange just so people know it is the latest, there is pent up demand for something genuinely different.


That iPhones success will have nothing to do with whether the Fold is a better phone, or whether the Fold is better looking. They could sell it for 2500, and if the stock is there, it will outsell the Fold 8 and 8 Ultra combined. This is because ecosystem, status, lease options, and zero existing user base will create a demand for this phone that has never been seen in a foldable. Mark my words


This will be the first "splash" release since the iPhone X. Demand will be through the roof. The only limit is the one point I agree with. Inventory issues.

Your arguments are good and might prove themselves right. But if the product itself is considered inferior and not worthwhile at its price, then iPhone fans might simply go back to the iPhone 18 Pro Max, which will also be more expensive - in iPhone logic - more luxurious...

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