I am not familiar with the Apple range at all, but what is novel about this one?
After all, 'phones that fold in half probably appeared more than 20 years ago, and are still made.
Or is the originality that the screen itself folds, instead of occupying just one leaf?
I would be impressed by that as an engineering achievement, if it gives no visible hinge-line on the image, but would hope the boundary does not break down within only a few years.
As for buying one now or waiting another six months...
Only you can decide, as only you know what you want the instrument to do for you.
I'd need know if the later version will offer genuine advantages over the current one. Not spurious "extras" (gimmicks) or specification-gains not noticeable in practice; let alone "latest-must-have".
I expect at least a decade of service from a 'phone, provided the networks maintain their side of the bargain. (My present 'phone is of "flip" pattern, only about 4 years old, and 3G-rated. Though I am not sure what that means, there are whispers that 3G services will be switched off within the next few years.)
Especially so, I would expect decent longevity from products whose prices keep me unfamiliar with them; but probably offer nothing not given by far cheaper brands.
I don't know the operating differences, but Apple's rival equivalents seem of equivalent quality. Ignore external looks and trade-marks: I suspect most of their physical engineering is nearly if not actually, identical - just uses different programming.
