Off the Record is a weekly column written by Android Central's editor-in-chief. The column looks to expand and go in-depth on topics in the Android space without any limitations.
A recent report from The Information dropped in late July, indicating that Apple could release a foldable device as early as 2026. We’ve known about a potential Apple foldable as early as 2021, with a more definitive rumor circulating last year. But even if the company releases one within the next couple of years, would people be interested in buying an Apple-made foldable?
I decided to speak with Victor Hoyos, a 32-year-old long-time iPhone user who recently switched over to the Motorola Razr Plus 2024, and ask whether he would switch back to Apple if it made a foldable.
“I’m not going to move,” Hoyos told me in an interview.
He believes that Apple is at a point of maturity with its iPhone and is now trying to shift gears to have another wow-factor moment with its Apple Vision Pro VR headset.
“They know that their iPhone is mature enough, [and] their market is just not going to grow. And you can see it in their phones. They’re just very iterative,” he said, adding that he also thinks if Apple were to make a foldable, it would likely be in book form rather than a flip phone, and Apple would slap a $2,500 price tag on it.
An Apple foldable will likely be priced at a premium, and that could deter potential buyers and even long-time iPhone users.
Hoyos recently posted on Reddit asking other long-time Apple users about their experience switching to an Android-based phone and whether it was hard. Though relearning a new device and operating system was a challenge, he still said it was “very exciting.”
“It was pure nostalgia for me. I heard the word Razr and…it was the same level of awe and excitement for technology that I haven’t felt in years,” Hoyos said. “I think the last time I felt that excited was probably the iPhone 5s.
Hoyos isn’t the only person who feels this way about his iPhone. I also spoke with Shepherd Howe, a 16-year-old high school student who switched to an Android in 2020 despite living in an Apple-centric household.
In an interview, Howe said one of the main reasons for switching over was that he felt Android phones looked cooler. While he still has his iPhone, he felt that over time, his iPhone’s performance fell short of that of his Android device.
Like Hoyos, Howe also doesn’t think he’d switch back if Apple made a foldable device.
“I don’t think I would switch even though it would be cool to have a folding phone that was an iPhone,” he said. “But my final answer would be no.”
Apple will still win if it launches a foldable
Despite Hoyos and Howe both strongly stating they would not switch back to Apple if it created a foldable, there is still a large market of people who would still choose Apple.
Alex Mar is one of those people. In an interview with Derrek Lee, Android Central's managing editor, Mar, who is in his early 30s and lives in the Seattle area, said he switched to a Galaxy Z Flip 5 for reasons similar to Hoyos. He said it brought a nostalgic feeling, something that companies like Motorola have focused heavily on when marketing their flip phones.
He also revealed that he had a little bit of “iPhone fatigue.” However, after several months with the Flip, Mar eventually decided to switch back to his iPhone, ultimately because of the Apple ecosystem.
“In the United States, most people have iPhones here. If It were another country where everyone uses WhatsApp, WeChat, or they just use [a] regular [messaging service], I would have stuck with Android,” he said.
More importantly, Mar said he would “absolutely get an iPhone flip phone.”
Counterpoint Research data from 2022 suggested that while 46% of people would buy a Samsung foldable phone, 39% would pick a potential Apple foldable over other foldables that are in the market.
“Foldables have performed better in controlling the shift from Android to iOS,” said Hanish Bhatia, associate director of North American research at Counterpoint Research. “However, we don’t expect foldables to become the dominant form factor anytime soon in the U.S.”
Despite the unavailability of an Apple foldable, the data shows “a lot of excitement among consumers for a foldable iPhone,” said Jeff Fieldhack, research director of North America at Counterpoint Research.
There is a lot of excitement among consumers for a foldable iPhone.
I myself have been a foldable hater for a while now, although not because I don’t think the form factor is cool; it's mostly because I simply can’t stand the display crease.
But when Lee wrote his Motorola Razr Plus 2024 review, I somehow became convinced that Android manufacturers have almost figured it out. As he writes, “the crease looks and feels even less noticeable than on the Razr Plus 2023, which is saying something.”
If Apple were to create a foldable phone, the crease would definitely be something the company would seriously need to work on perfecting.
Apple isn’t late to the game; it’s being strategic
However, give credit where it’s due. While most people might think Apple is silly for not having a foldable in the market yet, there is a very smart reason why. The company wants to avoid putting out a shoddy and lackluster product. Maybe the new iPhones are iterative in nature, but I know that if Apple were to release a foldable, it’d be a quality phone.
Jiitesh Ubrani, research manager for IDC's worldwide device tracker, agrees, indicating that “Apple often isn’t the first to the game, but it does tend to offer some of the best and well-thought solutions.”
Neil Shah, vice president of research at Counterpoint Research, also added that Apple (and likely other manufacturers) consider many components before releasing a product.
“It’s a question of getting the product definition, positioning, durability, and experience right,” he said. “There are multiple factors, which Apple needs to consider before jumping into foldables to maintain the standardization and scale at a global level from silicon to software to devices.”
Apple often isn’t the first to the game, but it does tend to offer some of the best and well-thought solutions.
So, is Apple too late to the game, particularly when companies like Samsung are now in their 6th generation of foldable phones?
“Foldables, even in 2026, will only account for less than 3% of the global smartphone volumes (this is assuming only Android foldables exist). However, a folding iPhone would be a great way for Apple to further increase average selling prices and address an ultra-premium segment of the market that is currently being served by Android brands,” he said.
In the scenario where Apple decides to have a foldable device, it will likely be a premium phone and “not something that the average consumer would afford initially unless Apple continues to offer great trade-in programs or financing options like they currently do.”
Take the Apple Vision Pro, for example. There are plenty of consumer VR headsets in the industry that do not cost an arm and leg, but Apple decided to launch a $3,500 headset for its first iteration of a new device in this category, priced well beyond what an average consumer might pay.
However, Hoyos, Howe, and Mar all make interesting points. While I am incredibly bored with the Apple ecosystem and its lack of ingenuity with newer phones, I am intrigued by Apple potentially releasing a foldable.
Still, I haven’t been excited about an iPhone for a while now, and I’ve asked myself the same question: would I switch if Apple released a foldable?
No.
Meanwhile, I have been very excited about the Android foldable ecosystem. So perhaps it’s time for me to officially switch over to Android-based devices permanently. I’ll leave that story for another time.
