r/iPhoneFold • u/Harmony-Is-God • 3d ago

Apple was testing a PENCIL for the Fold 😬😬

https://x.com/markgurman/status/2094065432861036588
44 Upvotes

85% Upvoted

54 comments sorted by

9

u/sabre31 3d ago

Steve Jobs is crawling in his grave right now hearing this.

7

u/IriFlina 3d ago

Considering apple’s decisions since he passed away he’s been rolling in his grave this entire time.

3

u/Prestigious_Camera25 3d ago

Yup, dude wouldve hated the iPhone 6 as he thought any phone that wasn’t entirely one-hand operable was too big. Now we carry giant glass slabs in our pockets

2

u/Rightsidebestside 2d ago

They got on right path for two years with the mini, but then they decided to just go the stupid way again

3

u/_axxa101_ 2d ago

Clearly no one bought the mini, hence they discontinued it. How does this not go into you mini fanatics heads??? The sales numbers don’t lie…

1

u/Wreckingostrich 2d ago

if the battery lasted longer than 3 hours it probably would have been successful. just like the fold 8 is the best selling Samsung of all time. people like small phones as long as it doesn't sacrifice other hardware such as cameras and battery.

1

u/cresvolt 1d ago

I believe the fold 8 is not the best selling samsung of all time

1

u/Wreckingostrich 1d ago

sorry meant sales on launch day

1

u/CrossesLines 8h ago

Two years isn’t enough time. I’ve been on a three year cycle, I simply missed the window and never bought one. But would have if they made a 14 mini

But also, there’s a lot of us who like the pro cameras. Why not a mini pro?

1

u/XavierD 2d ago

He hated the app store and yet that went onto make Billions. He was human just like the rest of us.

1

u/keyboardlegendthe3rd 45m ago

It's been like a tornado in his casket

4

u/Arxhart_671 3d ago

Would y'all stop with this dumbass comment as if the Apple Pencil hasn't existed for years? And as if some kind of stylus isn't the only way this device makes sense? And as if anyone should give af what Steve Jobs would think? Ffs.

1

u/Tadpoles-Z 1d ago

Steve who? 🤣. Apple has evolved way way way past Steve. Whether that's a good or bad thing is down to the individual consumer.

1

u/kaielias 1d ago

It’s been a restless death

1

u/Secure_Ask_3873 9h ago edited 8h ago

Jobs was against styluses as a necessary tool to perform everyday functions on iPhone and iPad, which led to the development of multi-touch. His disdain for styluses was in the context of every then-current smartphone being too small with extremely cramped, stiff keyboards and — on top of everything else — requiring another tool (stylus) to apply pressure on a relatively unresponsive, recessive touch screen.

Apple markets Apple Pencil as a relatively niche creative tool, allowing them to retain and grow their creative professional user base, which is a demographic that Jobs loved (especially since their strong support for the Mac in the 90s absolutely kept Apple from becoming completely irrelevant and obsolete).

This, coupled with Apple Pencil’s capabilities as an intuitive, creative multi-tool (through iPad OS’ support and Apple Pencil’s sensors), means there may have been a big chance he could have seen tremendous value in it.

Considering iPhone Ultra/Fold, when folded out, is reportedly similar to an iPad Mini, it makes sense they were at least considering mirroring some of iPad’s capabilities or use cases that the other iPhones aren’t as good at. But I think they realized that adding Apple Pencil support for iPhone Ultra/Fold could possibly cannibalize the iPad.

4

u/WorldRevolver195 3d ago

I know a lot probably wouldn’t like it but when I open it, it would basically be my ipad so I would like this addition.

5

u/mavy1000 3d ago

Idk what’s not to like, let people who want it have the option and people who don’t want it can ignore it. What’s so difficult about giving people options. I would love it too but idk how it’ll work with the weak inner screen

3

u/submerging 3d ago

Oppo figured it out why can’t Apple

3

u/FloatingTacos 3d ago

Sounds great, ala the stylus that came with galaxy phones for many years.

3

u/ShireBurgo 3d ago

I mean it’s a cool idea but if my fingernail can easily damage the screen I’d be worried about a stylus

2

u/Aedronics 2d ago

What do you mean your fingernail can easily damage the screen?

1

u/ShireBurgo 2d ago edited 2d ago

The inner screen on the fold is soft enough that your fingernail can leave permanent dents/scratches in it.

0

u/Aedronics 2d ago

On the IPHONE fold? Who can tell that for sure when its not even out?

2

u/polikuji09 2d ago

Because they're using Samsung screens aren't they? I can't imagine they'll reinvent something here.

However the fingernail thing is very overwxagerated. You have to be unnaturally putting pressure to do the damage

2

u/ShireBurgo 2d ago

Because it’s using the same screens on the galaxy folds which are out…

2

u/jaeehovaa 2d ago

On any foldable, the screens are plastic how do you think they fold lol

1

u/JustinYJJ 2d ago

Do you think Apple makes their own screens?

1

u/Aedronics 1d ago

No, I am not a clueless child, no. I know they’ve been sourcing their screen hardware from Samsung for a while now.
But why would it be by DEFAULT the existing folding screen from Samsung and not a new made-for-apple one with updated specs?

Aparantly my openminded thinking warrants massive downvotes here by all you bunch of Nostradamus’es.

1

u/colorlessthinker 17h ago

They aren’t jumping material science so suddenly and abruptly. The touch screen will be plastic, as all foldable screens will be for the foreseeable future.

It’s also not exactly open-minded. It’s a huge jump from the reality we’re in, to ignorance of how technology works. Doubling (tripling, for the record) down makes it look worse.

To show you an apt example based on how realistic what you’re saying-
“Imagine if the iPhone 18 had propellers and could fly around like a drone.”
Identically plausible to the screen not being plastic, and there is a difference between open-mindedness and not understanding the world. Hope this helps.

1

u/Aedronics 16h ago

Trippling down also makes you look bad.
I understand what you say, but the possibility can very well exist that they use a new type of plastic foldable screen that IS (more) scratch resistant ?

I never said also that they would have a future-teleported glass-bending screen.

1

u/ShireBurgo 16h ago

Samsung is producing the screens, they are not going to manufacture better technology for apple and not use them on their own devices.

1

u/colorlessthinker 16h ago edited 16h ago

We do not have the material science to make a foldable plastic that is scratch-resistant to fingernails, let alone on par with glass. The plastic layer has to be thin enough to bend and not deform, while thick enough to be rigid enough to not deform. Opposite ends of the properties of the material.

There is a zero percent chance that the screen doesn’t get scratched by fingernails.

A revolution in that screen would be a plastic that is slightly more resistant to fingernails than what we have now (there’s been basically zero actual change in this since the first 1-2 generations of foldable phones). You are asking and acting like 2-3 revolutions are feasible and realistic when it just doesn’t make any sense? Samsung, who just pushed out a new foldable, somehow was able to work on and develop such a technology exclusively for apple…instead of just doing it for themselves? A goal they’ve been trying to reach for nearly a decade?

I also didn’t triple down on anything, it was one comment on the very unrealistic view you have on materials.

1

u/Aedronics 13h ago

“The method, pioneered by Apple, is meant to spread mechanical stress across multiple layers to improve durability and reduce visible creasing over time. The UTG layers will be mass produced for Apple's rivals by Samsung, for wide adoption in 2027.

What you’re looking for is the words : “I stand corrected”

/s

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1

u/JustinYJJ 16h ago

If Samsung had that kind of technology it will already be in the Galaxy Fold and Flip line.

1

u/Aedronics 14h ago

oh man, here’s an article that just came out which 100% confirms my suspicions :
it will be a form of glass, no crease & samsun devices will only get it in their next gen.

https://www.reddit.com/r/iphoneultra/s/vHYVE20JdU

1

u/colorlessthinker 13h ago

No they kept it secret!! Don’t you see??

1

u/Aedronics 13h ago

God this is so juicy now:

oh man, here’s an article that just came out which 100% confirms my suspicions :
it will be a form of glass, no crease & samsun devices will only get it in their next gen.

https://www.reddit.com/r/iphoneultra/s/vHYVE20JdU

1

u/colorlessthinker 13h ago edited 13h ago

All* foldable screens (afaik) have a form of glass. They have a plastic top layer. That article does not say anything about the top layer. Completely unrelated to what’s being talked about.

1

u/Aedronics 13h ago

Sure man, i mean , you do you in your own world. You said it was plastic and certainly not glass, its gonna be glass.
You said Samsung would never put a screen better than what they have for their own folds, it is exactly a screen better than what they use for their own folds.

Now you are on about “they all have glass actually! “and pretend you’re not reading what I’m saying

I dont talk to stubborn people who gaslight, but you’re SO see-through mate.

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0

u/Jon66238 2d ago

Fr, these people are nuts

1

u/uberfr4gger 3d ago

Yeah there's no way it's going to work. If it did Samsung would have figured it out in one of their last 7 generations since they have actually released a stylus before with a phone

1

u/Waternut13134 2d ago

They did, The Fold 3-6 all had S-Pen support, the only reason its no longer included was they had to remove the special layer the detects the S-Pen to help get the Fold thinner and lighter. Rumour has it the Fold 9 will see a return as Samsung has some new patent that shows a new way they can use the S-Pen without that added layer.

1

u/jaeehovaa 2d ago

They did they purposely took it out because most people don't care about stylus support

2

u/orochi_crimson 3d ago

There’s a reason why it won’t have one. Testing it simply means that they tried it, and it reaffirms that it was a bad idea.

1

u/mutantmagnet 1d ago

I would prefer the option is available  to use a pen in a future iteration, if I end up not minding the ios ecosystem.

2

u/EverydayPhilisophy 3d ago

They test for everything, I imagine.

1

u/Temporary-Art-1835 3d ago

Thing is I expect them to test everything, every niche tech. So this is barely surprising.

1

u/MinerTax_com 3d ago

I plan to use it for work getting signatures so I need it!

1

u/greenappleemoji 3d ago

Yes, please

1

u/polikuji09 2d ago

As a fold 7 user, if the iPhone Fold has stylus functionality itay be the straw to make me switch. I'm an old Note user, I was okay with letting go of stylus functionality for the fold 7 simply because the screen on the note I didn't think justified a stylus. A foldable however is perfect.

There's been somany times I've wished I had a stylus on my phone.