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If you’ve been drooling over foldables but can’t put your iPhone down, you might be in luck.
Apple has been secretly working on a foldable iPhone since 2018, and has already produced at least two prototypes, according to a new report. Both models open and close like clams. This is a feature we’ve already seen on the Samsung Galaxy Flip 5.
According to The Information, Apple is in the early stages of developing a foldable iPhone, so its release may be a long way off. The company is also said to be considering developing a larger foldable iPad after facing obstacles with its foldable iPhone project.
If true, this news would signal a major design change for Apple, the only major phone maker that hasn’t embraced bendable phones. Samsung started this trend with his Fold series in 2019, followed by Motorola, Oppo, and Google.
Foldable phones tend to be cheaper than larger flip phones that open like a book. For example, the Google Pixel Fold costs £1,749, while the Flip 5 costs £1,049. It folds up even smaller and allows you to take photos at a 90 degree angle without using a stand.
Apple is said to be in talks to order parts from Asian manufacturers for two sizes of foldable iPhones. However, if the product does not meet design criteria, the project may be canceled.
The main technical barrier appears to be device size. Specifically, Apple is reportedly trying to make a phone that’s half as thin as current iPhone models so that it won’t be too thick when folded.
To give you an idea of how thick the foldable device is, Samsung has reduced the Flip 5’s thickness to 15.1 mm when closed. By comparison, the flat iPhone 15 series has a depth of 8.25 mm.
Apple also appears to be working on ways to reduce the permanent crease in the center of the display that appears when you fold it too far. Mobile phone manufacturers typically use special equipment in a laboratory environment to test the durability of flip phones.
Recent third-party real-world testing showed that the Galaxy Z Flip 5 can withstand 400,000 bends. Samsung used a new hinge on the phone that had fewer moving parts and was able to close completely without the wedge-shaped gap seen on previous generations of phones.
Apple, for its part, reportedly wants the device to lie completely flat when unfolded, allowing users to use their hands or a stylus like the Apple Pencil to touch and draw on the screen.
Reports of foldable iPhones and iPads have been around for years. In 2020, Apple filed a patent for a foldable display designed for durability, and as recently as last year, it filed a patent for a flexible display. Some even talk about foldables that can close automatically when dropped to prevent serious damage. However, given that Apple files thousands of patents each year, there is no certainty that they will be commercialized.
Apple enthusiasts certainly crave foldables. Tired of waiting for the real thing, a team of enthusiasts stitched together parts from an iPhone X and a Motorola Razr to create a foldable iPhone. Maybe their Frankenphone wasn’t so far off the mark after all.
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