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I don't think I would want this device for $500, let alone what Apple is asking. What is the appeal? There are a few screen scenarios that make sense for my li

I don't think I would want this device for $500, let alone what Apple is asking. What is the appeal? There are a few screen scenarios that make sense for my life: (1) Multiple displays at desk to work; (2) TV + couch; (3) laptop + lap or surface; (4) phone (anywhere). I'm never in need of a tablet. If I needed that screen real estate, I'd be reaching for my laptop.

2muchcoffeeman 25d ago
Then don’t buy it.
smt88 25d ago
> If I needed that screen real estate, I'd be reaching for my laptop. It is increasingly common for people to have no laptop or any computing device other than their smartphone, smartwatch, and/or game console. I know very few people who have a non-work computer anymore.
bel8 25d ago
It's not the worst status symbol. It's useful.
Eji1700 25d ago
> If I needed that screen real estate, I'd be reaching for my laptop. Which you commonly have in your pocket? I have a GPD pocket 4 and love me some portable laptops, but I do sorta hope we get somewhere with foldables to where I'm happy just breaking out an arc mouse and small keyboard and treating that as the computer. We're obviously not, and i'm probably not anywhere near willing to shell out the cash for this, but "the tool you have" and all that.
himata4113 25d ago
I want this, this could legitimately replace my laptop. I never liked the samsung fold since the form factor was a bit too ehh. Apple did something right here.
- hpaavola 25d ago
  https://www.samsung.com/fi/smartphones/galaxy-z-fold8/buy/ https://www.samsung.com/fi/smartphones/galaxy-z-fold8/buy/ I think that the form factor is pretty much the same?
  - himata4113 25d ago
    Oh. They completely changed it haven't kept up since the 5th generation.
    - cromka 25d ago
      They have two form factors of foldables now.
- 72deluxe 25d ago
  What are you doing on your laptop that this could replace? A functioning tactile real keyboard is not something to be trivially dismissed.
charles_f 25d ago
I never thought I'd defend apple, but that was the arguments people (myself including) were making about iPads. So I wouldn't presume this won't find a public, starting with the apple fans. I find the form factor repulsive though, doesn't fit comfortably in a pocket and seems pretty thick. Screen durability is described as "we have premium material" and an "scratch resistant" coating, but no mention of free screen replacements like samsung is doing ; so I assume you'll have to shelve off half the price of the device every year for a new screen. I think this might not be a great device. So I guess I agree with you
- karlgkk 25d ago
  AppleCare exists. Honestly worth just pricing that in.
jpalomaki 25d ago
Teams/Zoom calls when not on desk. iPhone Max screen is just a bit too small when people are sharing their screen.
soerxpso 25d ago
Many people (possibly a majority) use their phone for most of their computing, and perhaps a tablet to stream movies/tv. They use a laptop or desktop for work only, and see those as frustrating and clunky devices. There could be a lot of demand for "phone, but with a tablet screen when I want to watch Netflix" from the segment of the population that has zero overlap with people commenting on a tech forum.
- system2 25d ago
  I know many people without a laptop or desktop at home. They don't find it strange. I can't imagine not having at least a laptop in my life.
  - Magi604 25d ago
    I know someone exactly like that. He runs a very profitable side business (reselling) using only his smartphone to take pictures, upload them, message customers, emails etc. I'm always baffled how he doesn't at least have some small laptop to help him type out stuff when needed, but he's doing just fine.
- gregglain 25d ago
  The folks around me that computing includes a lot of social and game consumption.
- alexpatin 25d ago
  I just got the z fold 8. I'm finding vibe coding much more appealing in tablet mode with the extra horizontal real estate. Chat on the left, browser preview on the right. Before, vibe coding away from my desk has always been a PITA. This is actually useful.
- port11 25d ago
  What’s the overlap between that AND with people that can put 1000+ into a phone? No, but honestly, outside the US?
  - 25d ago
yoz-y 25d ago
I commute by train. I would never watch a tv show on a phone but watched plenty on my iPad. If the big screen gives you an actual access to “desktop” web, then suddenly more web starts working (the switch in Safari is perfectly useless) Tmux does not work that well on a tiny screen, and I use it a lot.
ncr100 25d ago
Lease for $58/mo .. $1392 over lease life
f6v 25d ago
I think the current iteration of foldables is still too bulky for me. But I can see how it'd be cool to have a large screen while the device still fits in my pocket.
Hamuko 25d ago
>What is the appeal? Twice the screen size in your pocket without having to get special pants.
vishnugupta 25d ago
For my wife, who (a doctor) I'm confident is a representative of 95% of smartphone user-base, uses her iPhone for all[0] the tasks you described. [0] At work she uses hospital provided Windows PC. Used only for patient records, nothing else.
zild3d 25d ago
> I'm never in need of a tablet. Apple sold something like 60M ipads in 2025. Perhaps you are not the target audience
bartvk 25d ago
Nice big font for my aging eyes.
crossroadsguy 25d ago
Well, good for Apple — at this point if they released an actual brick (I mean an actual clay brick), wrote a few Applesque things on it, showed it on stage, said stuff like "First Ever Apple Brick™," and priced it at, say, $399 (that's a conservative estimate), they still wouldn't be able to keep up with the demand. So, your loss.

2muchcoffeeman 25d ago

Then don’t buy it.

smt88 25d ago

> If I needed that screen real estate, I'd be reaching for my laptop. It is increasingly common for people to have no laptop or any computing device other than their smartphone, smartwatch, and/or game console. I know very few people who have a non-work computer anymore.

bel8 25d ago

It's not the worst status symbol. It's useful.

Eji1700 25d ago

> If I needed that screen real estate, I'd be reaching for my laptop. Which you commonly have in your pocket? I have a GPD pocket 4 and love me some portable laptops, but I do sorta hope we get somewhere with foldables to where I'm happy just breaking out an arc mouse and small keyboard and treating that as the computer. We're obviously not, and i'm probably not anywhere near willing to shell out the cash for this, but "the tool you have" and all that.

himata4113 25d ago

I want this, this could legitimately replace my laptop. I never liked the samsung fold since the form factor was a bit too ehh. Apple did something right here.

hpaavola 25d ago
https://www.samsung.com/fi/smartphones/galaxy-z-fold8/buy/ https://www.samsung.com/fi/smartphones/galaxy-z-fold8/buy/ I think that the form factor is pretty much the same?
- himata4113 25d ago
  Oh. They completely changed it haven't kept up since the 5th generation.
  - cromka 25d ago
    They have two form factors of foldables now.
72deluxe 25d ago
What are you doing on your laptop that this could replace? A functioning tactile real keyboard is not something to be trivially dismissed.

charles_f 25d ago

I never thought I'd defend apple, but that was the arguments people (myself including) were making about iPads. So I wouldn't presume this won't find a public, starting with the apple fans. I find the form factor repulsive though, doesn't fit comfortably in a pocket and seems pretty thick. Screen durability is described as "we have premium material" and an "scratch resistant" coating, but no mention of free screen replacements like samsung is doing ; so I assume you'll have to shelve off half the price of the device every year for a new screen. I think this might not be a great device. So I guess I agree with you

karlgkk 25d ago
AppleCare exists. Honestly worth just pricing that in.

jpalomaki 25d ago

Teams/Zoom calls when not on desk. iPhone Max screen is just a bit too small when people are sharing their screen.

soerxpso 25d ago

Many people (possibly a majority) use their phone for most of their computing, and perhaps a tablet to stream movies/tv. They use a laptop or desktop for work only, and see those as frustrating and clunky devices. There could be a lot of demand for "phone, but with a tablet screen when I want to watch Netflix" from the segment of the population that has zero overlap with people commenting on a tech forum.

system2 25d ago
I know many people without a laptop or desktop at home. They don't find it strange. I can't imagine not having at least a laptop in my life.
- Magi604 25d ago
  I know someone exactly like that. He runs a very profitable side business (reselling) using only his smartphone to take pictures, upload them, message customers, emails etc. I'm always baffled how he doesn't at least have some small laptop to help him type out stuff when needed, but he's doing just fine.
gregglain 25d ago
The folks around me that computing includes a lot of social and game consumption.
alexpatin 25d ago
I just got the z fold 8. I'm finding vibe coding much more appealing in tablet mode with the extra horizontal real estate. Chat on the left, browser preview on the right. Before, vibe coding away from my desk has always been a PITA. This is actually useful.
port11 25d ago
What’s the overlap between that AND with people that can put 1000+ into a phone? No, but honestly, outside the US?
- 25d ago

yoz-y 25d ago

I commute by train. I would never watch a tv show on a phone but watched plenty on my iPad. If the big screen gives you an actual access to “desktop” web, then suddenly more web starts working (the switch in Safari is perfectly useless) Tmux does not work that well on a tiny screen, and I use it a lot.

ncr100 25d ago

Lease for $58/mo .. $1392 over lease life

f6v 25d ago

I think the current iteration of foldables is still too bulky for me. But I can see how it'd be cool to have a large screen while the device still fits in my pocket.

Hamuko 25d ago

>What is the appeal? Twice the screen size in your pocket without having to get special pants.

vishnugupta 25d ago

For my wife, who (a doctor) I'm confident is a representative of 95% of smartphone user-base, uses her iPhone for all[0] the tasks you described. [0] At work she uses hospital provided Windows PC. Used only for patient records, nothing else.

zild3d 25d ago

> I'm never in need of a tablet. Apple sold something like 60M ipads in 2025. Perhaps you are not the target audience

bartvk 25d ago

Nice big font for my aging eyes.

crossroadsguy 25d ago

Well, good for Apple — at this point if they released an actual brick (I mean an actual clay brick), wrote a few Applesque things on it, showed it on stage, said stuff like "First Ever Apple Brick™," and priced it at, say, $399 (that's a conservative estimate), they still wouldn't be able to keep up with the demand. So, your loss.