Apple is currently building two foldable iPhone prototypes, according to a new report from “a person with direct knowledge of the situation.” These are flip-style devices, like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 and Oppo Find N3 Flip, and not larger devices like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 or OnePlus Open.
That doesn’t mean Apple is now set on releasing its own foldable devices, mind you: the company appears to simply be experimenting with the form factor. These phones are not part of Apple’s mass production plans for this year or 2025, so at the earliest we could see one in the fall of 2026, that is, if the project ends up being successful. Apple has been talking to at least one Asian manufacturer about sourcing parts for the foldable iPhone, but of course the project can be canceled at any time if it doesn’t live up to Apple’s high standards.
Apple wanted to build such a foldable starting in 2018 that would be as thin as current iPhone models when closed, but the battery and display technology simply isn’t there yet. Interestingly, the company apparently wanted the phone to have the display on the outside of the foldable when folded – like a flip-style version of Huawei’s Mate also led to problems with the design as such. a phone breaks easily.
Then, in 2020, Apple suspended development of the foldable iPhone, focusing instead on the rumored foldable iPad, which isn’t expected to hit the market until 2026. And now it appears to be working on both in parallel.
Currently, Apple engineers are trying to eliminate display creases and design a hinge that allows the screen to lie completely flat, so that the Apple Pencil is not negatively affected during use. LG and Samsung Display are both chosen for the foldable iPad, it’s unclear which companies would make the screens for the foldable iPhone.
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