Foldable phones are awesome – but to be mainstream they need the shot in the arm that only the rumored Apple foldable can provide

I have used foldable phones before, I’ve used flip phones, and none really convinced me that they were the future with their thick heavy bodies, unsightly screen creases, and less-than specs. However recently, I have had my opinion do a full turnaround after testing the quite frankly brilliant Oppo Find N5 – the first foldable phone that could actually make its way into my pocket every day.

However, western readers might have been disappointed to learn that the Oppo Find N5 won’t be coming to Europe after all, and certainly not to the US with OnePlus also canceling any plans for new foldable phones this year. Who knows how well the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 or Google Pixel 9 Fold are selling, and if we are just an iteration or two before they become unprofitable enough to shutter? Foldables need a shot in the arm, and for that, I think they need Apple.

As with everything Apple touches, an Apple embrace of foldable phones would move the genre from a niche product for tech nerds to a mainstream product. If the same Apple hype machine that somehow made the Vision Pro cool could do the same for foldables it could give it the boost it sorely needs.

As an Android fan, I hate to say it, but Apple could also do foldable phones better. After a decade of iPads, Apple has nailed the tablet OS and has developer support in a way that Android still struggles with for its inner screen. Ultimately, we live in an OS duopoly, which isn’t ideal, but at least Apple and Google constantly push each other to be better, Android takes from iOS, and iPhone takes from Pixel, etc. If app developers had more reason to make their apps work on foldable phones, then it would improve things for everyone.

Rumors are aplenty of Apple’s foldable plans, with lots of leaks pointing towards Apple joining the foldable space in 2026 – most recently respected analyst Mark Gurman of Bloomberg joined the speculation with corroborative dates. Apple’s device is rumored to be a book-style foldable and have a minimal to non-existent crease. Of course, take this with a pinch of salt, just because Apple is working on something doesn’t mean it will actually follow through, remember Apple’s big move into the automotive industry?

But I personally cannot wait for Apple to bring the party to the foldable space – just hopefully before it goes bust!

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