The foldable party started three years ago, almost to date. You see, it’s one thing to be fashionably late, but it’s pretty damn rude to not even show up, especially if you’re one of the VIPs. Yes, Apple, I’m talking about you. You see, Cupertino has always been known for trailing a tad behind, and then delivering the same thing, but better executed. In this particular case, however, as far as any kind of foldable device is concerned, not just a smartphone, Apple seems to have decided to pass.

While I strongly believe that Apple fans are perfectly fine with it, it hurts the industry, as a whole, for a top player to not partake in a trend that turned insanely popular really fast.

It’s not just being one year or one cycle late. In this particular case Apple’s competitors are on the third, if not fourth iterations of their own foldable smartphones, with the most notable among them having not one, but two versions: the classic, and the clamshell.

Why exactly Apple decided to sit this one out so far is anyone’s guess. Maybe they know their customers well, maybe they dictate what their customers should buy, maybe they just haven’t cracked the code yet, though I’m sure there are plenty Galaxy Folds and Flips dismantled somewhere over at R&D inside HQ.

Heck, maybe we’ll never see a foldable Apple device, and they’ll just surprise us with something mind-blowing, like a rollable, who knows?

The truth of the matter is that the answer to our question might be more complex. There are some theories out there that try to justify the lack of a foldable iPhone. One talks about the small profit margins, and we know Apples loves its profits. Another one mentions the lack of supply chain maturity (and the scarce foldable panel manufacturers). In the end, Apple would make less profit while paying Samsung more for the components (display panels).

It might be a simple business decision, but it’s still anyone’s guess. Anyone not named Tim Cook, that is.

I feel that we’ve beaten this topic to death here on Pocketnow in articles like this, this, and this, to name a few. I’ve spoken about it every time I got the chance to, and, while I know random words written by a dude on a website won’t influence Apple’s decisions, I really want to keep ringing the alarm bell for the benefit of users, if not the entire industry.

Apple fans are just as dedicated as any other brand fan out there, and they’re more than willing to go with anything Apple throws at them. Few brands can get away with recycling designs and concepts over several device generations, and break sales records year after year.

But I’d like to hear from you, whether you’re an Apple fan, a foldable fan, or just a tech nerd. Should Apple finally show up to the foldable party? Would you fancy an iPhone that unfolds into an iPad? We’ve got a poll for you below, but you can also leave a comment if you’ve got more to say.