There have been news reports making rounds on the web about Apple developing a foldable device, which could likely be an iPhone or an iPad. While there is no official confirmation yet and, if there is one in the works, it likely won’t be released in 2024, there is a fresh news report about internal changes that Apple has reportedly gone through to focus more on the foldable device development.
9To5Mac has reported that Apple has moved some of the engineers, who were previously working on the Vision Pro headset, to develop foldable iPhone or iPads. The report also states that the initial plan of the company to launch its first foldable device in 2026 has changed and Apple now plans to launch either a foldable iPhone or a foldable iPad model by 2027.
According to the report, Apple’s display suppliers Samsung and LG have been sending screen samples to the Cupertino based technology giant for its upcoming foldable device project. The samples are said to be in the 7-inch to 8-inch range, suggesting that Apple might be planning on a book-style foldable smartphone that when opened, has a display size like an iPad mini.
Apple is reportedly developing at least two prototype models for a foldable iPhone with a clamshell design that folds horizontally, like Samsung Galaxy Z Flip models. However, the 9To5Mac report stated, Apple is unlikely to continue with a flip-style foldable iPhone design due concerns about a visible crease.
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Earlier this month, Apple analyst Ming Chi Kuo in a post on X (formerly Twitter) said that Apple’s only foldable product with a proper development plan is its foldable MacBook with a bigger screen. Kuo said that Apple has a “clear development schedule” for a 20.3-inch foldable MacBook, which he expects to enter mass production by 2027.
With multiple reports stating differently, the form factor of the first foldable device by Apple is currently unknown, however it is likely that the American tech giant will unveil at least one foldable device by 2027.
Here’s a breakdown:
Foldable phones are a new type of smartphone that has a bendable screen, allowing it to be folded and unfolded.
Competitors like Samsung already have foldable phones on the market.
Apple is reportedly in the early stages of developing foldable iPhone prototypes.
Analysts predict a release date between 2025 and 2027.
The design might be a clamshell style that folds shut, similar to the classic flip phones.
Some rumours suggest a larger foldable iPad might come before the iPhone.
