Does Apple’s excuse for abandoning a new foldable iPhone model stand up to scrutiny next to the Motorola Razr 70?

According to a recent report, Apple has abandoned a foldable iPhone model that had been under consideration while the main foldable iPhone enters mass production. The company internally believes that this model — a clamshell foldable — would have been unnecessary, but the upcoming Motorola Razr 70 might prove otherwise.

Apple abandons clamshell foldable iPhone

Why did Apple decide to stop work on its clamshell foldable iPhone? According to reports, the company believes that there is no space for such a product among its current and upcoming offerings.

While definitely a cool form factor, a clamshell foldable iPhone would not have served much purpose as it would not have introduced a novel new way to interact with iOS. Apple allegedly argued that such a phone would have to mean sacrificing cameras and battery capacity for almost zero gain.

In fact, the company apparently decided that if portability ever became a significant problem for its users, then it could release a smaller standard iPhone model instead.

The Motorola Razr 70 sounds excellent, though

There is a problem with Apple’s statement, however. True, the company has always wanted to do things its own way. And true, a clamshell foldable iPhone would not open up many new possibilities. At least the upcoming foldable iPhone is designed differently from most other foldable flagships on the market and will provide a very different iOS experience.

However, Apple’s excuses about the required hardware sacrifices are wholly outdated, as evidenced by the Motorola Razr 70. Just the standard Razr 70 is expected to feature a 50 MP + 50 MP camera setup on the back and a 4,500 mAh battery, which is more than the somewhat disappointing 4,400 mAh cell found on the otherwise excellent Galaxy Z Fold 7.

Stuffing good hardware into a smaller phone isn’t the Herculean task that Apple is making it out to be. We’ve already seen budget Chinese smartphones start to cross 8,000 and even 10,000 mAh battery capacities. Unfortunately, Apple and Samsung are still refusing to adopt silicon-carbon batteries.

It also fits in with Apple’s new strategy

Furthermore, a clamshell foldable iPhone would have felt right at home with Apple’s new strategy for the iPhone.

While Samsung is still slimming down its Ultra phones each year and retaining the 5,000 mAh battery, Apple is making iPhone Pro models thicker instead so that it can fit in better hardware. The company is marketing the iPhone Air heavily, likely hoping that it can become the average consumer’s go-to Apple flagship.

What do both the iPhone Air and the canceled clamshell foldable iPhone have in common? They would have both been phones that sacrificed hardware and did nothing special just for a different form factor. Wouldn’t a clamshell iPhone have fit in perfectly alongside the iPhone Air?

You could either get the Air and accept shorter battery life and a single camera for better in-hand feel, or you could choose the clamshell iPhone for maybe slightly less powerful cameras and more portability. And, as we’ve just seen with the Motorola Razr 70 — and as we will likely see with the Galaxy Z Flip 8 — you don’t really have to sacrifice much at all. A clamshell iPhone would have been great.

Such a phone would have sold well too

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 and the Flip models that preceded it have been very popular. And when Samsung stepped up its game last year with said Flip 7 as well as the Galaxy Z Fold 7, demand outstripped supply, taking the company by surprise.

Clearly, there are people who love the clamshell foldable phones and would have been ecstatic to give such an iPhone a chance. Unfortunately, Apple can be very stubborn sometimes, and that doesn’t always end up benefitting the company.

Just look at the Apple Vision Pro, which hasn’t seen a price reduction since launch despite that being the biggest reason for its poor sales.

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