Apple may have to pay the price for being slow with the folding iPhone?

(Dan Tri) - A new survey shows users' impatience with foldable iPhones, but experts believe that Apple's "slow and steady" strategy is still a wise move.

SellCell's survey caused a stir when it pointed out that 30% of iPhone users "consider" switching to a competitor's folding phone if Apple continues to delay the launch of a similar product until 2026.

Specifically, 20.1% of users are willing to choose Samsung and 10.2% are looking towards Google, painting a challenging picture for the technology "giant".

iPhone 17 Pro Max launched on September 9 (Photo: Engadget).

However, industry experts are more cautious about how alarming this survey is.

"Consideration" is not synonymous with "conversion"

“Consideration for switching is a very weak measure of loyalty,” notes Ross Rubin, principal analyst at Reticle Research. “There’s a chasm between thinking about it and actually spending money.”

Francisco Jeronimo, vice president of IDC, also agreed, saying that there has not been a big shift from iOS to Android and the number of foldable phones sold is still very low, accounting for less than 2% of total global smartphones.

This shows that the foldable phone market is still a niche segment, not strong enough to create a mass "migration" away from Apple's solid ecosystem.

It’s no surprise that Apple has been slow to jump on the foldable phone bandwagon. It’s a familiar strategy: wait for the market to mature, for the technology to mature, and then launch a carefully crafted product.

“This delay is typical of Apple at its peak,” explains Mark Vena, president of SmartTech Research. “Apple wants to deliver a complete foldable device from day one, not a technological experiment.” Many experts believe that current foldable screen technology has not yet reached Apple’s strict standards, especially in terms of durability and user experience.

Andrew Cornwall, senior analyst at Forrester Research, added that iPhone users have very high expectations of the experience and may not be as accepting of a horizontal line in the middle of the screen as Android users.

Curiosity or dissatisfaction?

Michael Levin, co-founder of Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, said the SellCell survey reflects "curiosity about foldable phones, not dissatisfaction with current iPhone models." Evidence is that 68.3% of iPhone owners still plan to buy the iPhone 17.

Analysts expect Apple to introduce a thinner version of the iPhone, enough to get consumers excited about a new form factor after years. When Apple does enter the market, it will likely redefine the entire segment, just as it did with tablets and smartwatches.

“The question is not whether Apple will produce a foldable phone, but when and how they will make it a popular product. When that happens, foldable phones can go from being a unique product to a mainstream device,” concluded the President of SmartTech Research.

Ultimately, while some users may be impatient, Apple's "slow and steady" strategy still seems to be a wise move, betting on perfection over speed.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/cong-nghe/apple-co-the-se-phai-tra-gia-vi-cham-chan-voi-iphone-gap-20250908160858008.htm