Apple needs an iPhone Fold, now that Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is here

tech.hindustantimes.com:

Foldable smartphones are having a moment of their own. Perhaps, the year itself is theirs for the taking. Yesterday, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and the Galaxy Z Flip 5 were unveiled by the company at its Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event, making it the fifth company after Oppo, Honor, Google, and Motorola to launch a foldable smartphone in just 2023. And that is because the foldable technology is finally starting to come together. The displays are getting more durable, the hinges better, and the optimization is on the way up too. And nobody wants to miss out on the biggest innovation in smartphones since bezel-less display. Except Apple. However, it is about time Apple should really get on this bandwagon and bring in an iPhone Fold. Will it happen? Do note that Apple is good at ignoring all that is going around it - just see how it is treating all the hype around AI. Having said that, it does not mean Apple should shun the foldables forever.

For the first time since the inception of folding smartphones, we are witnessing the technology maturing to a point where it is now functional, instead of being a gimmick. Now, folding smartphones do not come with a long list of ‘do nots' to protect the fragile glass display, and the hinge does not make it fold awkwardly. Smartphone makers have even dealt with the crease problem.

Companies have also begun understanding this. Besides the names we mentioned above, OnePlus is also looking to enter the foldable space with its rumored OpenPlus Open, and Realme with its rumored Realme GT 2 Fold. Xiaomi and Vivo also have their own foldables in the market and are likely to bring a successor soon. The only company that remains missing from the scene is Apple — and we sort of know why.

Apple has