Even if Apple hasn’t confirmed anything about its foldable plans, the industry at large seems to believe the rumoured iPhone Fold will sport a Galaxy Z Fold-esque book-style foldable design.
There are plenty of rumours, leaks and even patents to back up these claims, with the expectation that Apple will finally unveil its long-awaited foldable sometime in 2026 – but I can’t help but think that the book-style form factor is a mistake for Apple.
In my mind, the iPhone Fold should actually be an iPhone Flip. Let me explain.
The Flip form factor is more popular
If you look at the numbers over the past few years, it becomes clear that flip-style foldables are the phones people actually want.
Globally, flip-style foldables like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Motorola’s Razr 60 Ultra make up the lion’s share of the foldable market. In fact, recent industry research shows that nearly 77% of foldable revenue comes from flip-style devices, leaving book-style alternatives in the dust.
Even in the US where fewer brands of foldables are available, surveys show that almost half of Americans prefer flip-style foldables, while only about a third lean towards the larger book-style design. Look at historical sales of Samsung foldables, and the story is much the same: the Z Flip line consistently outsells its Z Fold sibling.
The tide has started to change with the release of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 – the book-style foldable is said to be selling more units than the Flip in Samsung’s home region of South Korea – but more generally, flip-style still seems to be the way to go.
The real question is, why? I think a lot of it comes down to what people actually want from a foldable phone.
Compared to book-style alternatives that start as a normal phone and get even bigger, the flip form factor is much more compact and pocketable. It still gives you the full-sized smartphone experience you’re used to, but with the ability to fold down into something you can slip into your jeans or a small bag.
It also has that retro nostalgic charm that hits adults of a certain age who remember the clamshell phones from the early noughties – and nostalgia should never be underestimated.
It’ll make an extremely expensive foldable a little more affordable
Apple has a reputation for premium pricing on its products, and I think it’s safe to assume that trend will continue with Apple’s first-ever foldable – especially if it’s in its assumed book-style form factor.
Considering the non-folding iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at £1,199/$1,199 and goes all the way up to £1599/$1599 if you want the most storage possible, we could be looking at upwards of £2000/$2000 – and that’s what current rumours suggest too.
However, that’s partly because the book-style foldable design is, generally speaking, more expensive. Take a look at the latest Samsung foldables; while the Z Fold 7 costs a not-insignificant £1,799/$1999, the Z Flip 7 is comparatively cheaper at £1,049/$1,099.
Sure, the Flip is still an expensive phone that costs over a grand, but it’s nonetheless more attainable for people than a phone that costs almost double that amount.
If Apple adopted the flip-style form factor, the cost of components would be much cheaper – I’ve got to assume it’s cheaper to manufacture a small 4-inch cover screen and a 6.9-inch internal screen than a 6.5-inch cover screen and an 8-inch internal screen, after all.
That saving could, in theory, make an extremely expensive foldable a little more affordable for Apple fans patiently waiting for an iOS-based foldable.
Leave the book-style design for a foldable iPad mini
I’m not saying that Apple should completely ditch the book-style form factor; oh no. In fact, personally, I much prefer the bigger screens of the Z Fold 7 to the Z Flip 7, with more space for gaming, reading and split-screen multitasking.
However, I’d argue that Apple’s book-style foldable would be much more effective in the form of a new hybrid iPad mini.
I’ve always been a huge fan of the iPad mini and its portable nature; it’d always be my go-to iPad for scrolling through social media and checking emails, as it’s just easier to hold than the larger iPads.
That said, the iPad mini’s small screen also has its downsides. Though bigger than most phone screens, the 8.3-inch display is a little restrictive for more intensive tasks like content creation – a key reason why consumers opt for iPad and its suite of bespoke photo and video editing apps via the App Store.
Imagine for a second, an iPad mini with its compact 8.3-inch screen on the outside, but with a larger 14.6-inch screen on the inside. That could take on the behemoth that is the 14.6-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra while being infinitely more portable.
In my mind, that’s the perfect iPad; small and portable enough to use one-handed on the go, with the ability to expand to a size more suited to editing videos, playing games and split-screen multitasking – especially with iPadOS 26’s new macOS-inspired window layout coming to iPads in the coming months.
There’s not a world where something like that isn’t being actively tested behind closed doors at Apple Park, but whether we ever see it reach the light of day is another story altogether.
So yes, it looks like Apple’s first foldable will indeed be the iPhone Fold, but I can’t help but think an iPhone Flip might be the smarter way to go.
