What the hell is an iPhone 14 Pro Max Flip? I have no idea but thousands of people are searching for it online…
We now have foldable phones, thanks mostly to Samsung with its never-ending push to get users to ditch their familiar slab-like, non-folding phones. Google too is said to be working on a foldable Pixel phone, although that rumor has been doing the rounds for years now.
Ever since Samsung released its first foldable phone, way back when, people have been waiting for Apple to do the same. A foldable iPhone is certainly a tantalizing prospect, but is there actually any tangible evidence that Apple is actively working on this type of iPhone?
As of 2022, no, not really. The reason people are searching for “iPhone 14 Pro Max Flip” online is that since about 2020 people have been speculating about Apple releasing a foldable iPhone and those that do not follow launches as closely as others – AKA, us tech geeks – are simply checking in to see whether Apple released a foldable model inside its iPhone 14 range.
A Foldable iPhone? The iPhone Flip…
So, is there any actual evidence that Apple is working on a foldable iPhone Flip model?
As it turns out, there is plenty of evidence that Apple is indeed interested in making a foldable iPhone, potentially called the iPhone Flip. But testing has very little to do with actual, full-scale releases. Apple likely has hundreds of projects “in testing” that’ll never see the light of day.
And the evidence isn’t just rumor-based conjecture, some of it actually comes from reliable sources like Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who claims Apple’s first foldable iPhone will have an 8in display, making it significantly larger than Samsung’s current Galaxy Z Fold 4.
Other reports suggest Apple has tasked LG with creating a 7.5in foldable OLED display for an as-yet-unknown iPhone release.
Kuo also believes that Apple is currently testing a 9in iPhone Flip model inside its headquarters as well. Again, if true, the 9in iPhone Flip would literally dwarf everything else on the market right now, including Apple’s iPad mini. In fact, a phone of this size would be close to Apple’s standard iPad when unfolded.
iPhone Flip Design – What Might It Look Like?
Apple’s a stickler for design and, unlike most tech firms in operation today, it seldom releases something until it is absolutely ready. We saw this with Apple’s delay in bringing 5G to the iPhone, as well as its ultra-conservative approach to the industrial design of its main product lines: the iPhone, Apple Watch, and its AirPods.
This means, if there is to be an iPhone Flip or a foldable iPhone, it will have been in testing for years by now, providing a release is planned for between now and 2024. Apple’s R&D budget is enormous, bolstered by its insanely massive yearly revenue and profit margins, so as soon as Samsung unveiled its first foldable Galaxy phone, you know Apple engineers got to work on Apple’s counterpart.
Similarly, Apple has filed patents for a variety of folding iPhone concepts dating back to 2018. This proves that Apple, despite not releasing anything just yet, has been working diligently on a foldable iPhone since, at least, 2018. The next logical question is, of course, when – or if – the iPhone Flip will ever see the light of day?
Apple has tested two different kinds of iPhone Flip: a fold-out hybrid tablet, similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold lineup, and a clamshell flip phone design akin to the Galaxy Z Flip range. Those sources also claim Apple will be going ahead with the clamshell design, though it is still early in the development process and there’s a chance things could change.
Source
Is There Demand For Foldable Phones?
How many people have you seen using a foldable phone in the wild? I live in London and, to date, I have yet to see a single foldable phone being used by someone. Not one. And that is very telling. You know how many iPhone 14 Pro Max phones I saw just last week? About 100, and this tells me that perhaps the demand for foldable phones isn’t quite there yet.
Add in the fact that the entire western world is now in the throes of a recession with rising inflation, and the idea of splurging the best part of $2000 on a foldable phone seems even less appealing. Apple is likely VERY aware of this – both the current market woes and the fact that no one really seems to bother with foldable phones – so it is likely holding off on doing anything with its iPhone Flip phone until this changes.
iPhone Flip Price
Similarly, given the cost of Samsung’s foldable phones – they’re basically $1800 to $2000 – it is fairly safe to assume that Apple’s, given that they’re said to be much bigger than Samsung’s, would cost significantly more. How much more? I have no idea. But Apple is never shy about getting crazy with its pricing – just look at its Mac Pro systems.
Having said ALL of that, if one company could potentially popularise the foldable phone concept, it is Apple. Samsung is a massively influential phone brand but it still doesn’t have the same kind of clout with consumers as Apple.
Look what Apple did with its Apple Watch and AirPods. Now, imagine if it released a foldable phone. People would be climbing over one another to buy one, regardless of the price. I think Apple knows this but is likely hesitant to pull the trigger given how popular its normal iPhones currently are – why rock the boat when you don’t need to?
As of right now, Apple’s iPhone lineup has never been stronger. You have the obscenely powerful iPhone 14 Pro / Pro Max and the relatively affordable iPhone 14 for users that do not want or need Pro features like LiDAR and the like. And if you want the standard iPhone just with more battery, you now have the iPhone 14 Plus to consider.
Apple’s iPad sales are also pretty strong too, so, again, the question isn’t whether Apple is making a foldable iPhone, it is, multiple designs are now being tested, but rather what would be the point in releasing one? Samsung isn’t exactly selling a lot of its foldable phones and the reason for this is simple: they’re just too bloody expensive. So, again, why would Apple bother with the iPhone Flip when it already has the most profitable phone business on planet earth?
