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The rumours about the so-called ‘iPhone Fold’ are heating up. And it’s only January.
We’re now pretty sure we know what the screen size is going to be, what the ‘split launch strategy’ is all about, and the fact that the iPhone Fold won’t have a crease.
I’ll get to all of that, but let’s remind ourselves that these are rumours and, therefore, should be taken with a pinch of salt.
None of this may happen.
These particular rumours are exciting to talk about, though, because this could be a very different and transformative (literally) year for the iPhone.
However, it has also got me thinking about the iPad mini.
And I’m worried.
And excited.
Let me explain.
The split launch strategy
Rumours suggest that Apple is completely switching up its iPhone launch strategy from this year onwards. The idea, apparently, is that instead of launching all iPhones (bar the ‘e’ variant) in the autumn, Apple will instead focus that period on its Pro lineup and move the standard device(s) to a spring launch.
If true, that means we’ll see the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max in September this year, but we’ll have to wait until next spring for the iPhone 18 and 18e.
Related: iPhone 16e review
On the face of it, that might not sound particularly exciting or groundbreaking. It might even make a lot of sense; we are firmly in the iterative phase of smartphone development, after all. Make us wait. That’s cool.
However, this new iPhone strategy could reveal something far more interesting emerging from within the secret depths of Apple’s spaceship campus.
By focusing entirely on the top-tier iPhones in the second half of the year and pushing the standard device’s release back, Apple is making space for something else during the former period. Something… foldable?
Check out my full iPhone 17 review
There are, surely, sales strategies at play here, too. If you want the latest iPhone later this year, you’ll have no choice but to go for the more expensive Pro or as-yet-unannounced foldable version. Equally, by moving the standard iPhone to the first half of the year, Apple will smooth out revenue and rely less on one big spike in the autumn.
Smart.
But now, I need to talk about the iPad mini.
Size overlap
According to Tom’s Guide, the rumoured iPhone Fold will feature a 7.8-inch internal display and could cost as much as £2,500/$2,500.
So, it’ll be expensive. Because of course it will. But the most interesting thing above is the internal display size. If true, it would be just 0.5 inches smaller than the iPad mini’s display.
Having used many similar-sized foldable phones, I can confirm that the internal display is wonderfully useful. Sure, the Samsung TriFold has revealed what we should probably expect from a foldable phone in the future, but that remains largely unattainable for most people.
If you want a device that doubles as a phone and something that has a big enough screen to get proper stuff done and which acts as a great canvas for media consumption, the iPhone Fold – if it arrives – will make you question your need for an iPad.
The competition: Samsung Z Fold 7 review
More specifically, it’ll put into question the iPad mini’s existence.
Or will it?
The iPad mini Pro we all want
I’ve published around 56,298 iPad mini videos on my YouTube channel and written just as many blog posts about it. That makes me vastly overqualified to confirm that there is a growing demand for something a bit more… ‘Pro’.
Give us ProMotion, and stick an OLED display in there while you’re at it. Give us Face ID. Increase the RAM. Stick an M-series chip inside. Provide the option of a mini Magic Keyboard (ok, that’s mainly just me). The requests for an ‘iPad mini Pro’ come thick and fast in the comments section of everything I publish about Apple’s lovable little tablet.
However. This iPhone Fold. Think about it. It’s probably going to have ProMotion, and may also have an OLED display (make that two OLED displays). It’s fair to assume that it’ll have Face ID. Rumours suggest that it’ll be equipped with an A20 Pro chip.
It will be, in theory at least, the iPad mini Pro we’ve all been asking for. And a regular-sized Phone, to boot.
This begs a question: has Apple been intentionally holding back the functionality of the iPad mini because it knew the iPhone Fold was on the way?
Fear of cannibalisation
I think it’s fair to say that most people want one device that does everything. It would therefore be understandable to assume that if the iPhone Fold is a success, iPad mini sales will drop, leading to its eventual demise.
This happened with the iPhone mini, albeit for different reasons. That device was effectively cannibalised by the larger-screen iPhones and, presumably, finally given the death sentence following poor sales.
The good news for the iPad mini is that its survival might depend on one thing: price. As noted earlier, the iPhone Fold, if it comes to be, is likely to be an extremely expensive smartphone, which would make the £499/$499 asking price for the iPad mini a far more tantalising proposition for a lot of people, particularly when teamed with a regular, non-pro, and non-folding iPhone. In that realm, I’m pretty sure budget would win over the convenience of having just one device.
So, maybe all hope isn’t lost for Apple’s best-ever version of the iPad.
Final thought
If the rumours for the iPhone Fold are true, it’s likely to be one of Apple’s biggest releases in years.
I’m torn. I deeply love the iPad mini – it means an awful lot to me and the business I have built. But I love foldables, too, and, if forced to make a decision, I would always opt for just one device. One device to buy, charge, look after, and get a shed load of stuff done on.
I guess, now, we just have to wait and see what happens later this year.
Of course, if an updated iPad mini arrives before September, that’s at least one concern we can put aside.
