iPhone 16 Pro Max should be a folding Galaxy Z Flip competitor (and no one can change my mind)

iPhone 16 Pro Max should be a folding Galaxy Z Flip competitor (and no one can change my mind)،

The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the first big iPhone I've ever had, and so far I have mixed feelings about it.

What makes iPhone 15 Pro Max The fact that Apple made big improvements this year is particularly difficult to judge (for me), at least according to my upgrade wishlist.

THE iPhone 15 Pro Max now has an exceptional camera, and this time this is true for both photos and videos; It has excellent battery life and top-notch performance – seriously, it hovers over everything and it would run an app in the background for days, so when I open it, it's still there when I left it .

But one aspect of iPhone 15 Pro Max I don't agree with the design. Aesthetically, Apple's flagship has looked virtually the same for almost four years now, and as a tech enthusiast, that's a bit too long to be looking at the same phone.

But more importantly, my first iPhone Max makes me realize how Apple is failing to take advantage of the large form factor. And while there are some things Tim Cook & Co can do to make the existing iPhone 15 Pro Max seems easier to use with one hand, I can't help but think of another, more radical solution to the problem of the “big iPhone” (which I have), and this (of course) is a Foldable iPhone.

So, for the millionth time on PhoneArena, here is my pitch for a foldable iPhone. But this time I'm 100% convinced I want one.

My first iPhone Max convinced me that Apple should make a foldable iPhone ASAP

Phone size is important, but it matters more on iOS than Android. Going from the iPhone 13 mini to the iPhone 15 Pro Max is a challenge.

There's no beating around the bush – as an iPhone 13 mini user, I find that iPhone 15 Pro Max virtually impossible to use with one hand. But contrary to what many might believe, I don't think the problem is the size of the iPhone 15 Pro Max (at least not only).

Don't get me wrong: the Max is a big phone, but my Pixel 8 Pro, which is virtually the same size, is much easier to hold and use one-handed, and that's very easy to explain. For one thing, the Pixel is curved on all sides and edges, which makes a huge difference when it comes to making a large phone more manageable.

But more importantly, Android is much better suited to one-handed use on large phones than the iPhone, and I can only attest to that now, after using the iPhone 15 Pro Max And Pixel 8 Pro side by side.

Examples include the ability to “go back” by swiping from the left and right edge of the screen (limited to left only on iPhone); pull down the notification center from anywhere on the screen (you have to reach to the very top on iPhone); double-click the power button to call up the camera (iPhone's action button is at the top left), and more.

I'll leave the longer list of iOS challenges of using a big phone for another story, but overall the iPhone 15 Pro Max's sharp edges and lack of usability optimization Apple's one-handed approach to big phones makes my iPhone 13 mini – iPhone 15 Pro Max transition rather shocking.

Nearly 7-inch iPhone 16 Pro Max expected to be Galaxy Z Flip competitor, Apple

My iPhone 15 Pro Max (left) next to the so-called iPhone 16 Pro Max/Ultra (right). Image courtesy of 9to5Mac.

Of course, Apple can “fix” this problem by making iOS 18 better optimized for one-handed use (fingers crossed; no pun intended). But even then, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is rumored to feature a larger and taller 6.9-inch screen than the 15 Pro Max, meaning the only “solution” could be to make the largest iPhone… foldable.

The reason why I “advocate” this change is simple: I love the big screen of the iPhone 15 Pro Max for watching videos, taking notes, and browsing, but I hate the idea of having to carry around a massive, heavy slab. Especially coming from iPhone 13 mini, which disappears in my pockets. The way to get the best of both worlds is pretty obvious: a foldable iPhone that adjusts to large/small dimensions on demand.

The nearly 7-inch screen of the rumor iPhone16 Pro Max is about to enter “small tablet” territory, and I don't know about you, but I don't want to carry a tablet-sized phone in my pocket. Especially once I put a screen protector and case on it, which probably 90% of people will do.

To be clear, when I talk about a foldable iPhone, I'm imagining a Galaxy Flip type device rather than a Galaxy Z Fold, and that's because I like the idea of a compact phone in my pocket and a “normal” phone when I need it. to use it.

iPhone Fold: What would it take for Apple to enter the foldable market, or is the iPhone Fold a lost cause?

What if Apple wanted to make a foldable iPhone with a Singer glass screen, reminiscent of the Surface Duo?

So if I'm totally convinced that a foldable iPhone is a good idea and I know I'd probably buy one, then what does it take for Apple to consider making one? To begin with, there's probably not much we (like me and you) can do…

Some Android phone makers are reaching out to users on social media and even keeping an open conversation about what they would like to see in upcoming phones – for example Nothing and OnePlus. Then you have other, bigger ones android phone-creators who, although they do not interact directly with customers, prove that they listen to their feedback and respond (sometimes) to popular requests. But Apple is not one of them.

Don't get me wrong: I'm not saying that Apple has never delivered the upgrade users requested, but even when it has, it's rarely because of the “pressure” Cupertino felt to cause of tweets, Reddit threads, or an article. on PhoneArena (sad face emoji).

It's no secret that Apple seems to have a long-term strategy that Tim Cook & Co adheres strictly and would only change in the event of extenuating circumstances. Apple lives in its own world and its own ecosystem most of the time.

So what would it take to push Apple into the foldable phone market? Honestly, probably a collective push from all sides:

High(er) demand for foldable phones, so Apple can see they're worth selling – although you could argue that the foldable iPhone would easily outsell all other foldables, that doesn't so is probably not the reason why it doesn't exist

Persistent pressure from traditional media, social networks and journalists who can speak to Apple representatives at Apple events; I don't think this alone will change Apple's mind, but continuing the conversation could make a difference if the rest of the stars align…

Decreased demand for “normal” iPhones – if fewer and fewer people upgrade each year, this could prompt Apple to consider creating something more exciting, which isn't the Apple Vision Pro at $3,500.

If Apple Never Makes a Foldable iPhone, You Can Totally Blame It on Samsung

Would Apple get into the foldable phone business if Samsung's foldable phones started selling more?

Last but not least, I suspect that if Apple plans to enter the foldable market (and we don't know if it does), then Tim Cook & Co are probably playing the “long waiting game” they’ve always played. In other words, Apple may just be waiting for the technology that makes a foldable phone possible to reach that “near perfect” level, which allows Cupertino to release a foldable iPhone and say, “Yeah, that took a while.” …But it’s better than anything else on the market! “. We've seen this play out countless times before.

What if (and this is me speculating/wishing things) Apple was waiting for a way to make a foldable phone with a glass screen and no plastic? Without a doubt, the need for plastic screens is what makes foldable phones more fragile and harder to manufacture compared to a “normal phone.”

Perhaps there will soon be a way to make a foldable phone with two separate pieces of glass and a folding mechanism that brings them together for a single, large glass screen? Imagine the Surface Duo but without the big gap/hinge in the middle of the two screen sections.

But again, is Apple just waiting for foldable technology to move to the next level and come into its own, or are foldable phones a completely taboo subject in Cupertino? I don't know… But what I do know is that a foldable iPhone would attract enough people to justify its existence, and I think Apple knows that. So I'm willing to believe that if/when folding technology gets “there” (wherever it is), Apple will be “there” to try the foldable form factor. Maybe starting with a foldable iPad?

Or maybe if Samsung sells enough Galaxy Folds to entice Apple to enter the foldable market, we can get the foldable iPhone sooner? What I'm saying is…it's all Samsung's fault. Uh.