There have been reports from The Information citing news sources regarding Apple’s development of a foldable iPhone. These reports indicate that Apple has been studying this concept for several years since 2018.
The latest information reveals that Apple has already developed prototype models of the foldable iPhone. However, there are several obstacles that prevent it from meeting Apple’s product design standards. For example, they want the device to be thinner than half of the current iPhone’s thickness when folded, but the battery and screen components are not able to accommodate this requirement. Due to these challenges, the project has been put on hold since 2020.
In response to these challenges, Apple has shifted its focus to developing a foldable iPad instead. The size of the device is similar to that of an iPad mini with an 8-inch screen. This project has made significant progress as the durability criteria for iPads do not need to match that of the iPhone. The thickness when folded is not the main factor of importance compared to the iPhone.
Currently, the main challenge for the foldable iPad is that Apple aims to ensure that the screen remains consistently smooth and responsive when unfolded, regardless of whether it is being touched or used with an Apple Pencil. However, this capability has not yet been achieved.
Based on this report, it seems unlikely that we will see a foldable iPhone released within this year or the next (despite previous predictions by Ming-Chi Kuo for a 2023 release). However, it is more plausible that we may see a foldable iPad instead.
TLDR: Reports suggest that Apple has been working on a foldable iPhone since 2018, but technical challenges have put the project on hold. Instead, Apple has shifted its attention to developing a foldable iPad, which has made significant progress. The main challenge now is to ensure smooth and responsive screen performance when unfolded. It is unlikely that a foldable iPhone will be released soon, while a foldable iPad is more possible.
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