An iPhone that folds could be a reality soon. Cupertino is experimenting with the form factor not so much in secrecy, it now seems like, and while it may be a while before we see any commercially viable product like that, leaks doing the rounds of the internet add a dose of adrenaline to an otherwise stagnant smartphone market. Cmon, it’s an iPhone that folds after all.
Apple maybe late to the folding phone party, as it probably is with virtual reality, but look what buzz the Vision Pro is making. So, don’t rule out a folding iPhone just yet is all we can say.
As for what’s being reported, The Information quotes a person with direct knowledge of the situation as saying that Apple is experimenting with two folding phone prototypes at least and both seem to bend in the form of a clamshell. Think the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, or Motorola’s Razr 40 Ultra.
The iPhone maker is said to be in discussions with some of its Asian manufacturing partners for sourcing components for the new form factor but —and this is the part that you should focus on— a commercial folding iPhone isn’t expected this year, and the next as well (2025). At best we can expect it in 2026 but even that could be cancelled, if it does not meet Apple’s widely known high standards.
Apple has reportedly mulled the concept since 2018, with a book-style version that would be thinner or at lest somewhat of the same thickness as an iPhone but display and battery limitations marred active development. That is not to say a book-style folding iPhone is not a possibility. It could be that the company is working on both at the same time as we speak, and should it crack one, we might see an official release eventually. But we will see.
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