Over the past few years, Samsung’s annual August Galaxy Unpacked eventsiPhone lovers have also asked the same question: When is Apple going to give us something like this? Galaxy Z Flip 4Oder Galaxy Z Fold 4?
Rumors of Apple’s work on foldable iPhone technology have been making the rounds for years. Despite the amount of scuttlebutt we hear about Apple’s research and development on this mythic device, it always strangely seems to be both right around the corner and years away at the same time.
It seems that Apple is testing at least one foldable iPhone in its underground labs. Beyond that, it’s hard to say what an “iPhone Flip” may actually look like or even when we’ll see one. Still, here’s what we know about the purported iPhone flip phone from piecing together the various clues over the years.
Design and display
It is not known what design Apple will use for its first folding iPhone. Samsung has already covered the most prominent styles with the Galaxy Z Flip 4 & Galaxy Z Fold 4 — but that doesn’t mean Apple has to follow suit. Apple has filed dozens of patents hinting at designs for a foldable iPhone, but these contain so many possibilities that it’s anybody’s guess right now as to what direction the company will go in. They can’t all be right.
Apple is currently working on prototypes that can fold. Numerous reports claim that Apple has been working on foldable OLED screens and hinges for at least 2017 and that research is ongoing.
LG began mass producing foldable displays in 2016 and indicated that it was planning to supply them several companies including Apple. This idea gained momentum in 2017 after sources claimed that LG began mass-producing foldable displays. Apple and LG have been actively partnering to develop specific foldable display technology for a future iPhone — a partnership that’s still ongoing.
According to some reports, Apple Display and Samsung Display were both in business by 2020. Signed a contract in which the display maker would supply a “large number” of foldable display samples over a year to be used for testing foldable iPhone prototypes. Apple also began testing hinges at the time. They were looking for a display that can withstand up 100,000 folds.
For a better understanding, laptop hinges are usually rated for between 30,000 and 50.000 folds. However, The Galaxy Z Fold 4 can endure at least 200,000 foldings. We haven’t heard whether Apple has since raised its standard to match that of Samsung.
Apple may also be testing several different designs. Jon Prosser, a leaker from Apple claimed that the company was testing several different designs as early as 2020. We have seen a prototype that had a two screen design. similar to Microsoft’s Surface NeoAnd Surface DuoInstead of a single folding display,
Prosser claimed that his sources informed him that the first round of hinge testing had been completed. Apple would devote all of its efforts to a clamshell foldable iPhoneIt has a design very similar to that of the Galaxy Z Flip. Prosser also claimed this iPhone would come in more “joyful” colors to target “more mainstream customers.”
Meanwhile, industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that Apple’s first foldable would be considerably larger and might not even be an iPhone, per se. Instead, Kuo foresaw a new generation of devices that would have a 7.5- to 8-inch display.This would blur the distinction between the iPhone and iPad. Unlike Prosser, Kuo doesn’t claim to have seen any examples of this device.
It’s worth noting that although Prosser has often been correct about Apple’s product release dates, he has a much less reliable track record when it comes to Apple products since he relies primarily on sources who claim to have inside information on what’s going on inside Apple. Kuo’s predictions usually come from the other direction, as he looks at trends within Apple’s supply chain and the type of components in demand.
Of course, like Samsung, Apple may have two devices in the pipeline: A clamshell foldable “iPhone Flip” that’s designed for fun, along with a more serious business-class “iPhone Fold” or “iPad Fold.”
Cameras and other specifications
A report for 2021 in the early hours Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman may throw a dash of cold water on leakers who claim they’ve already seen folding iPhone prototypes. According to Gurman, Apple’s development of a foldable iPhone hasn’t moved beyond the display, and the company “doesn’t yet have full handset prototypes in its labs.”
In nearly two years since that report, we’ve heard little more than the occasional confirmation that Apple is still in the early stages of experimenting with multiple designs.
There’s been no information available on what we’ll see regarding cameras, processors, and other features. That’s not surprising at this stage, as it’s likely Apple hasn’t even made these decisions yet. This is all normal. there’s tons of speculationHowever, this should be viewed with skepticism.
Flip software
Most of the reports and leaks have been focused on the design and hardware of the folding iPhone. However, Apple is likely also working on the software aspect of things. As they are, neither iOS nor iPadOS will be able to convert to a foldable design. This year, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 showed us that the software interface is as essential to the foldable experience as the hardware design.
Given Apple’s meticulous attention to user experiences, the company is likely already tossing around ideas for a foldable version of its mobile operating system. The direction that the iPhone Flip takes will determine how it turns out. It is possible that iOS could be rewritten entirely..
Date of publication
Although Apple is actively testing designs for one or more foldable iPhones, multiple sources have indicated that the company isn’t entirely sold on the idea yet. At best, The foldable iPhone will be years awayAt worst One day, we might not see one..
In his early 2021 report, Gurman made it clear that Apple hadn’t “solidified plans to actually launch a foldable iPhone.” In early 2022, MacRumors shared a message from leaker “Dylandkt” that SAID Apple still had concerns over the viability of foldable display technology and whether there was even a sufficient market for foldable smartphones.
In a Tweet thread that has since been deleted along with Dylandkt’s Twitter account, the leaker said that even though Apple is still working on different ideas, some within the company feel that the display technology hasn’t reached maturity.
Not surprisingly, sources claim that Apple is “playing the long game,” waiting to see how the technology progresses. It also wants to make sure there’s a long-term market for foldable smartphones and that this isn’t merely a passing fad that will diminish in a few years.
Last year was still a great year. Kuo predicted that Apple’s first foldable iPhone would be released by 2023.This product was targeted at mainstream consumers. It is expected that shipments could reach 20 million units in its first year. Kuo also expects Apple to use the most advanced display technology possible to give it “a long-term competitive advantage” and make it “the biggest winner in the new foldable device trend.”
However, earlier this year, display analyst Ross Young, who has a pretty solid track record when it comes to anything concerning screen technology, shared that he’d been told by sources in the supply chain that a foldable iPhone won’t be appearing before 2025, and that’s a very preliminary estimate. “The company does not appear to be in a hurry to enter the foldable smartphone market, and it may even take longer than that,” Young noted in his Technology report and shipment of foldable/rollable displays February 2022. Kuo confirmed this timeline a few more months later.
I expected Apple to launch a foldable iPhone as soon as 2024 in my reports last year, but now it's clear this prediction needs to be revised. I predict Apple may launch its first foldable product in 2025 at the earliest, which may be a foldable iPad or a hybrid of iPad & iPhone. https://t.co/HGIDPFvdar
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) April 1, 2022
It’s important to remember that 2025 is just the latest estimate in a long history of rumors and predictions. Analysts and leakers predicted that a foldable iPhone will arrive in 2021. This prediction was made three years ago. It was eventually renamed 2022 and 2023.. Now it’s 2025, but we don’t recommend holding your breath that this prediction will be any more reliable than the others.
So far, people haven’t begun abandoning the iPhone in droves to move to foldable devices. Apple still sells hundreds of millions of new iPhones annually — Often without even trying. Until that slows down or competing devices like the Galaxy Z Flip 4 become overwhelmingly popular, Apple doesn’t have much reason to make an iPhone Flip a priority. If you’re an iPhone user who really wants a foldable smartphone in the near future, sadly, it looks like you’ll have to switch teams.
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