Friday, April 1, 2022

Dual Screen iPhone or Folding iPad - Which Would Mobile Warriors Prefer

I recently upgraded to a green iPhone 13 Pro Max mainly because I have grown more accustomed to writing, articles and coding, on a smallish screen compared to the iPad and the Macbook (I have also have a habit of coding/writing during minutes of down times that I have over the day insteading of firing up Twitter or Apple News to catch up on headlines) and I'll be traveling more so I wanted a better camera to take videos and photos. It's a heavy device going from the iPhone 12 mini and it got me wondering if a dual screen or folding iPhone with eight to nine inches of screen is going to make sense. Witht the iPhone Pro Max weighing in at 8.46 ounces or a little more than half a pound (240 grams), it got me thinking about the weight of what a dual screen iPhone would weigh and if it makes sense in the context of what's on the market.

When we think of folding phones, we think of the Samsung offerings. And of course, we also have Microsoft's Surface Duo which I like a lot. Both devices are attempt to push the bounds of a mobile device that you can fit into your pocket.



Let's start with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. The screen is 7.3 inches weighing in at 9.56 oz (0.6 pounds, 271 grams). It has also has a 6.1 inch screen on the outside. Given the size of this outside screen, it makes sense to compare this to the iPhone Pro because it also has a 6.1" screen and weighs in at 7.19 ounces (204 grams). We can lazily double up on the weight of a dual screen iPhone and suggest it would come in at 14 ounces or so. Even the iPad mini only comes in at 10.56 oz or almost 300 grams.


The Surface Duo has the following specs: 8.1" screen with a hinge in between and 8.82 oz or 0.55 pounds (250 grams). It's only a tad heavier than the Pro Max but the real use specs are nowhere near what you get out of the iPhone. You only have to look at the reviews to realize that. However, between the Fold 3 and the Duo, I'd get  the Duo without question. If I really had to.


I'm going to guess that Apple's dual screen or folding screen effort, which we will likely not see until after 2025 or beyond, is going to weigh closer to Samsung's Fold 3. And at that weight, does it make sense for Apple's first folding screen device to be an iPhone with dual screens or a foldable iPad? 

My money is on foldable iPad with 9 to 10 inches screen. And that is exactly what Apple watchers are suggesting. According the Macrumors, Apple is testing just such a device with a 9" screen. Another reason why Apple will likely have a folding iPad before an folding iPhone is because of the MacBooks. There is a lot of working being done behind the scenes on a dual screen MacBook. Go ahead and search the Internet and you will see Apple has been working on this for years. And yeah, it'll be years before it sees the light of day but that's a post for another day.

Now, I'm only talking about size and weight and use case becomes very important. After upgrading to the Pro Max, I rarely reach for it unless I am in an outdoor setting and I know I will use the camera a lot and I won't have my messenger bag for which I can carry my iPad mini in. Last week, I went to the Hungtington Library to take photos of the beginning of the rose season. It was the first time in the two weeks since I got the Max that I used it the whole day. If it was any other trip to the Huntington, I might have taken my iPad mini to read or sketch there. 

And this is why I also think it makes sense for Apple to release a foldable iPad than an iPhone. Maybe at some point, Apple will release an iPhone that can fold in half. I don't know. It would have to justify a very important utility, thin, and weighs a lot less than the Fold 3. Maybe a flip phone form factor?

So choosing between the two, I would want Apple to give me a foldable iPad than an iPhone. No one knows what it will look like and how the folding scheme will work (it's not working for the Fold 3 I can tell you that) or if it will have dual screens like the Surface Duo, which I do not mind. However, going by the size and weight, it makes the most sense to me.

How about for you? Foldable iPhone or iPad?

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