Apple is likely counting on iOS fans who have resisted the temptation of getting one of the top foldable phones already available as they wait for a foldable iPhone

I think that has more to do with the fact that folding phones are eye-wateringly expensive. I expect a folding iPhone to cost even more.

I don’t understand how you can deal with a crease, it would drive me insane.

They made a foldable instead of affordable.

Everybody I know who has a folding-screen has a giant crease down the middle of it.

Pass.

this rendering looks awful with no display of any kind while folded and apparently all the microphones and speakers inside the fold.

Apparently, the inner screen will come in at 12 inches, suggesting it's going to be larger than previously expected.

Okay but then the device would need to be at least iPad mini sized (depending on aspect ratio)? Unless it triple or quadruple folds. Probably a straight up wrong rumor.

I'm actually interested in a folding smartphone, ideally sized somewhere between a 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max, unfolding to something comparable to an iPad mini in screen real estate (aspect ratio would be hard to match though).

Main pain points with existing devices are durability, crease in the middle of the screen and weight, although we're inching closer and closer to a more ideal device. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is something I'd almost want.

I may be interested in the clamshell foldable if they never replace the 13 mini with another small phone. I don’t want these huge phones and especially not one that folds open into a tablet

I wouldn't want one as pictured because I wouldn't want to unfold it every time I needed to use it. It really needs another screen on the outside for use while folded.