Abstract:
Mark Gurman, a well-known Apple reporter from Bloomberg, published an article on Sunday saying that the iPhone Duo has a stunning design and will become one of Apple’s iconic products in history, and will eventually promote foldable screen phones to become the new mainstream form of mobile computing in the future. At the same time, Apple’s foldable phone lineup will become more diverse like the current candybar phones, introducing new models such as Pro and Max.
iPhone Duo
For years, people who follow Apple have been calling for the company to launch a new product that is completely different from the past. Whether it is augmented reality glasses, lightweight mixed reality headsets, or other new wearable devices incorporating AI technology, people have expected that a certain device will eventually replace the traditional iPhone.
But it turns out that Apple has other plans: to let the iPhone evolve itself.
Gulman pointed out that the iPhone Duo gives him the same feeling as when the original iPhone or iPad came out in the Steve Jobs era. It's refreshing, the build and feel are impressive, and it's clear that this is a device that has the potential to change the computing landscape for years to come.
iPhone Duo is as stunning as the original iPhone
Although iPhone Duo is not a brand new concept, its software adaptation, high-quality materials and durability put it on a completely different level than previous folding screen phones.
While Apple does still need to launch new AI wearables and other peripheral products, such products will always exist around a core computing device. For decades, that core was the Mac. Later it became the iPhone. Regardless, the hub needs to be a powerful device with a screen. Even as wearables become more common, people will still want a device with a display that they can carry with them for reading, gaming and video conferencing.
AI devices are getting closer to being able to handle tasks such as text messages, calendaring, research, emails, and phone calls for users. But no matter what, it's unlikely that a device with a tiny screen or no screen at all will replace all the other things people do with their phones. This is why smartphones are not going away. In fact, it's only getting more powerful and feature-rich.
Place of use
Another factor is that Apple seems to have figured out the usage scenarios of iPhone Duo. In other words, why people should buy it. Apple did something similar with the original iPhone: The company initially marketed it as a mobile Internet device and then refined that positioning a year later to build it into an apps platform with seemingly unlimited potential. The iPad's selling points weren't that obvious when it was released, but it quickly found its niche: a multipurpose device that people used to complete a variety of tasks.
Apple took a detour when the Apple Watch was launched, initially positioning it as a fashion accessory and timekeeping tool, and later saved the product by repositioning the product as a health and fitness device. As for the Vision Pro, it's a disaster when it comes to finding truly compelling use cases. One of the better ideas is to let doctors use the device during surgery, but this use is obviously difficult to promote the product to sell millions of units.
iPhone Duo is suitable for watching videos and playing games
With iPhone Duo, Apple got it right from day one. The company is all-in on video watching, gaming, and photography, while including a few features that take full advantage of the foldable design. These include an updated standby mode that can be used to display widgets; new camera and FaceTime features that let you use the second screen as a viewfinder or let another person use it as a monitor; and an alarm mode that takes advantage of the fact that the device can be propped up.
This is all part of the larger development history of the iPhone. When this product was first launched, it disrupted the entire telecommunications industry. Consumers quickly began ditching feature phones and flip phones for smartphones. Of course, not everyone bought an iPhone, but the shift to touchscreen tablets with more advanced operating systems happened quickly. Even if the iPhone wasn't the first smartphone, it was the product that drove this market shift.
Just before the advent of the iPhone, smartphones accounted for only about 6% of global mobile phone shipments. Six years after the release of the iPhone, smartphones have become the mainstay of global sales. Today, smartphones account for about 85% of global phone sales, although Apple itself only holds about a fifth of the market.
Folding machines will become mainstream within ten years
Currently, foldable screen mobile phones are still in the early stages of development. Although the category entered the mainstream market seven years ago with Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Fold, foldable phones now account for only about 2% of global smartphone shipments.
However, thanks to the iPhone Duo, the proportion of foldable screen phones is expected to rise rapidly. On the one hand, it comes from the sales of iPhone Duo itself, and on the other hand, it also comes from the sales of other competing mobile phones, because these products will use some of the same design elements as iPhone Duo.
Gulman predicts that within ten years, foldable screen phones will account for the majority of new phone sales. Users will increasingly see the benefits of having a larger display in their pocket and the ability of one device to replace a laptop or tablet for many tasks. Foldable screen mobile phones may become the all-round computing products of the future.
That being said, the transition won't be as quick as the initial shift to smartphones. The reason is simple: foldable phones are expensive and require compromises. iPhone Duo starts at $1,999, which is more expensive than two standard iPhones combined. That price is even higher in some overseas markets, where Apple charges higher prices to help keep the U.S. starting price below $2,000.
But the price of this technology will gradually become more affordable, and not just because the price of the mobile phone itself will drop. Currently, Apple's upgraded rental program is only available in the United States. At some point in the future, the program will go international, and Apple will focus its marketing on the monthly rental fee rather than the full purchase price of the phone. Technology costs also fall over time. In 2017, if you want to buy an iPhone equipped with Face ID and OLED screen, the starting price is US$999. Today, even after the latest price increase, consumers can buy a similarly configured iPhone 17e for $699.
Apple will launch more models like Samsung
Eventually, Apple will have more than one iPhone Duo. It will create a folding screen iPhone product family just like Samsung continues to expand its product line and launch multiple versions. The Duo brand itself leaves room for this. Apple may have chosen this name because it wanted a three-letter name that would echo the Air and Pro, while also reflecting the dual-screen nature of the device. But the name also leaves room for adding a suffix.
It is not difficult to foresee that Apple will launch iPhone Duo Max with a larger display; or launch iPhone Duo SE and iPhone Duo mini as streamlined or clamshell models. Although many people within Apple believe that the company will adopt the name iPhone Ultra, the name is not that malleable. Naming iPhone Ultra Max or iPhone Ultra SE seems unreasonable.
Gulman predicts that by early next year, iPhone Duo will become the dominant folding screen phone on the market. Demand will be so strong that people will snap up the device in large numbers and resell it overseas. Prices on eBay will skyrocket and supply shortages will be extreme, possibly even greater than the Mac supply shortage Apple faces this year due to the AI craze.
But Apple won't remain dominant forever. iPhone Duo will develop along the same trajectory as the original iPhone. This means that its impact will be to promote foldable screen phones to become the main form of mobile computing and prompt the entire industry to significantly increase investment in this category.
In other words, the iPhone Duo is so amazing that it will make folding screen phones the new normal.
Comments