It seems like a foldable iPhone has been rumoured for almost as long as smartphones exist and yet, to date, we haven’t noticed any yet, even though the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold five and Galaxy Z Flip five are the fifth. Samsung foldable generation. Phone(s)
But Apple rarely shows interest in being first, preferring to do things later even better – preferring to do things later. So it’s no surprise.
Still, given that foldable phones are really starting to take off, and with high profile devices like the Google Pixel Fold and OnePlus Open having launched to give Samsung some competition, it does feel like it’s probably only a matter of time before we see an iPhone Flip or an iPhone Fold.
And while we doubt it will come to the iPhone 16, there are some clear signs that Apple is running a full foldable phone.
Below then, you’ll find all the leaks, news, and rumors about the foldable iPhone, and we’ll update this article whenever we hear anything new. So check back soon to stay up to date on what might be the best foldable phone – if and when it ever launches.
Apple reportedly has no “concrete timeline” for releasing a foldable iPhone.
The current speculation (based on rumors) is that the iPhone Fold, if it’s on its way, possibly won’t land until at least 2025.
Rather, it will most likely land even later, with an October 2018 report suggesting that Apple could release a foldable iPad for the first time in late 2024 or early 2025, with a foldable iPhone landing at a late date.
However, a more recent rumor claims that Samsung Display, which makes a large number of iPhone displays, is beefing up its existing equipment in an effort to be able to make foldable iPhone displays. This could suggest that the foldable iPhone might simply arrive faster than expected; But it’s not a rumor we would give much weight to.
But more recently, we’ve heard that Apple doesn’t yet have a “concrete timeline” for the launch of a foldable device. This was reported in December 2023, suggesting that there is still a long way to go.
Of course, we also don’t know how much the foldable iPhone will cost when it lands, but given that many foldable phones cost a lot more than the $1,000/£1,000/AU$2,000 mark, you can expect a hefty price to pay. The only loss in value we’ve noticed so far is $2500 (i. e. around £2220/AU$3970), so we’d recommend saving now.
As for the name, we’ve heard mutterings that it could be called the iPhone Flip, likely referring to the Galaxy Z Flip-like patents we’ve seen that hint at a clamshell folding format. In truth, though, it could be called anything.
At this point, rumors about the foldable iPhone are broadly divided into two camps: those who recommend that the device will have a true foldable display, and others who recommend that it will have two presentations separated by a hinge.
Several models filed a patent application in February 2019, some with a giant display with foldable internal sections with a single hinge, while others had two hinges for three hypothetical screens that fold in on themselves in a Z-shape.
This design shows what an iPhone looks like when folded.
These two designs show possible ways the screen could store in the body of the device when folded.
This design shows what a device folded into 3 sections would look like.
Other patents, like the one discovered in March 2020, reveal that Apple could be working on a foldable with two distinct displays separated by a hinge. While the patented design suggests the tech giant would attempt to minimize the bezel between the screens as much as possible, it would still be more noticeable than a truly folding long display.
That’s what Jon Prosser wrote on Twitter that same year: Apple’s foldable iPhone design (at the time) featured two separate demo panels on a hinge.
Apple’s “foldable” iPhone is rarely very foldable. The existing prototype features two separate demo panels on a hinge. ?Round stainless metal edges like the existing iPhone 11 design. No notch: A small front on the outside shows that it houses Face ID. June 15, 2020
While it is only a “current prototype” and not a final design, it is described as having rounded edges like the iPhone 11, as opposed to the square edges of the iPhone 12 and iPhone thirteen lines.
There’s also no notch for front-facing cameras: the sensors checking Face ID will be housed in a ‘tiny forehead’ on the outer display, according to Prosser.
This is in line with an upcoming leak from Prosser that warned that the iPhone Flip could simply have a shell shape (like the Motorola Razr 2020 or the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip) and the same source said it would be sold in “fun colors. “
We think that means you can expect some ambitious sunglasses for the iPhone Flip when it lands.
We’ve noticed a symbol of what the foldable iPhone might look like thanks to the patent, this appears as a device that unfolds into a larger device like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2. This device, which we call the iPhone Fold, has a longer screen than the other, so when it’s folded, you can see your notifications on one edge.
A separate leak suggests that this foldable iPhone could be compatible with the Apple Pencil and have a display measuring 7. 3 or 7. 6 inches in diameter. Hopefully, Apple will make a foldable device first, but it’s possible that something like this will be available as well. the way.
An analyst also told us that Apple is testing an electronic paper display (EPD) from E Ink for the cover screen of a foldable phone. It would be like an e-reader screen, but in color, and it could stay on for long periods of time without using up a lot of battery.
Apple’s foldable phone will also have a protective layer on the screen that can protect against cracks and fill pre-existing micro-cracks to prevent fractures. Apple has a patent for this technology, so it’s something the company is playing with. at least.
Elsewhere, an Apple patent mentions a thin but sturdy hinge that can only be used with a smartphone with a flexible display. That doesn’t tell us much, but it’s further evidence that an iPhone Fold or iPhone Flip could be on the market. works.
In addition, a report also suggests that Apple offers two foldable iPhone models that have already passed durability tests. That’s not to say it will take place sooner, but it’s a smart sign that Apple is on the right track.
Apple’s most recent patent we’ve seen highlights solid-state touch buttons that would allow users to navigate a foldable iPhone using its edges, rather than displaying it alone. In addition to the basic illustrations of the device (below), Apple explains how the touch sensors would be placed on “side walls” (as opposed to traditional walls) made up of “thin lines of steel small enough to be invisible to the naked eye. “
This is a design detail that is also rumored to appear in the upcoming iPhone 15 lineup.
Beyond all the leaks, we’ve also now seen essentially a prototype iPhone Flip made unofficially by a team in China. You can see some images of this below.
There were a lot of compromises involved in making it, but if Apple’s foldable is similar in design to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip line, then it could look like a much more polished version of this.
Foldables bridge the gap between phones and tablets, but the ones that launched, like the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate Xs, feature the best cameras found in those brands’ other flagship phones.
While there’s no reason to guess Apple wouldn’t do the same, the tech giant hasn’t bothered to upgrade the cameras on its iPads in generations. What’s more, given that the iPhone SE 2020 didn’t improve upon the lens of its predecessor, the iPhone 8, Apple set a precedent that could see it give its foldable iPhone a single camera instead of the full suite seen in today’s best iPhones.
One way Apple could easily match other foldables: introduce Apple Pencil support. Samsung introduced stylus integration with its Z Fold series, and given how the Apple Pencil 2 attaches magnetically to the newest iPad Pro tablets, we’d love to see how Apple’s styluses could be integrated with its foldable iPhone.
Yes, we say it: although the first series of foldables impressed simply by cutting off the folding screens, they have design weaknesses, from problems with hinges to broken screens. We’d like to see a design that allows everything to work. smoothly and face punishment.
It’s not that Apple’s lineup is perfect, as evidenced by breakable iPhone screens, faulty butterfly keyboards, and battery throttling on older iPhones. But at least in terms of appearance and functionality, Apple has maintained a reputation and a functional design.
When iPadOS split from iOS, we were excited about the possibilities of a new operating formula that could, in fact, take advantage of the iPad’s screen space. So far, we’ve been pretty pleased with the multitasking features that allow us to run multiple apps at the same time, which we’ve personally found convenient when typing in Google Docs while searching for pieces in Safari, for example.
We’d love to see an edition of the operating formula on the foldable iPhone for the same reasons, of course, there are a lot of unknowns. Will the device’s screen be giant enough to handle iPadOS commands properly?If it expands up to 7. 9 inches, which is the screen length of the iPad Mini, you might be able to do that, but until we know what the foldable device will look like, it’s unclear how suitable iPadOS will be.
Foldable phones like the iPhone Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate are generally known to last more than a day, and Samsung and Huawei’s flagships include higher-capacity batteries (in milliamp-hours) that seem to allow them to smoothly pass the one-day mark.
We’d like Apple to use the extra area of the device to stay foldable for longer than the competition.
Axel is a TechRadar senior based in London and reports on everything from the latest Apple developments to the latest movies as part of the site’s daily news. Having written in the past for publications such as Esquire and FourFourTwo, Axel is well-versed in generating programs beyond the office, and its political levels from general reporting and investigations to in-depth interviews and opinions.
Axel studied for a degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick before joining TechRadar in 2020, where he then earned an NCTJ qualification as part of the company’s inaugural digital training scheme.
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