We hear rumors about the foldable iPhone every once in a while, and they won’t stop until the anticipated device see the light of day. And as the iPhone 14 release date draws closer, guesses are piling up.
We’ve put together some of the foldable iPhone rumors and made our best guesses.
When Will the Foldable iPhone Come Out?
We started by trying to answer the million-dollar question.
The earliest renders of a foldable iPhone emerged in 2019. Since then, more rendered images or videos have flooded the Internet. In 2021, rumors were indicating that a foldable iPhone, also known as iPhone Flip, would debut alongside the iPhone 13. That didn’t happen, and of course, we weren’t holding our breath.
September is coming close again. Some began to guess the possibility of a foldable iPhone 14. Based on all the sources we’ve heard from, we don’t think 2022 will be the year. Also, given that competitors like Samsung, Google, and other brands have released foldable smartphones, Apple is probably taking its time to enter the ring.
Actually, back in April, the longtime Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo made a new prediction that a foldable iPhone may not arrive until 2025.
What Will the iPhone Flip Look Like?
Looking at the limited foldable smartphones on the market gives us an idea of what the foldable iPhone will look like.
Apple could connect two separate panels using an exterior hinge. Take Microsoft’s Surface Duo for demonstration. The two big screens are joined by a visible hinge which makes it look and work like a book. But some may find the hinge an eyesore. Apple has a taste for beautiful and minimalist designs, so using hinges is probably out of the question.
On the other hand, foldable smartphones with a hidden hinge mechanism working on one continuous display are more commonly seen, hence more like Apple’s choice. This kind of design comes in two variants. It could be a tall phone that folds in half horizontally or a wide phone that folds vertically, like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and Z Fold.
Samsung has just released its 4th-gen foldable smartphone, Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Fold 4. And other companies, including Microsoft, Motorola and Oppo, are also selling and iterating on their foldable phones. We believe Apple will use a similar design according to the leaked Apple patents in recent years.
That said, we can’t opt out of other possibilities. A patent unearthed by PatentApple depicts a device with a foldable display, but it leaves a small strip at the side exposed for easy access to notifications when folded. That’s something we haven’t seen in the market.
Anyway, we hope Apple will blow up our imagination.
What Challenges is Apple Facing?
Using a foldable screen seems a sure thing. But how well the screen can bend or fold is the actual headache.
All foldable phones show a visible crease when folded out to the full screen, and the crease worsens over time. Samsung has tried plastic and glass screens using Corning Gorilla Glass Victus for their Fold and Flip phones. And recently, they turned to UTG, a stronger and more scratch-resistant ultra-thin glass, which was seen on the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
It’s said that Apple is waiting for Corning, Apple’s glass provider, to create a bendable version of the Ceramic Shield screen. On the other side, a report claims that Apple is working with LG on a 7.5-inch foldable OLED panel.
Apple is clearly aware of the problems that appear on foldable phones, even using the best materials of the time. So they’re waiting for new materials or technologies to make a product without flaws before joining the crowd. Undoubtedly, Apple is good at this kind of game.
How Much Will the iPhone Flip Cost?
There aren’t many talks about the cost of the iPhone Flip because people aren’t expecting it to come out soon, and it’s uncertain how Apple approaches the design.
The 6.7-inch Galaxy Z Flip 4 starts at $999, and the 7.6-inch Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 starts at $1800, more than twice the price of the 6.1-inch Galaxy S22. And a foldable iPhone wouldn’t be any cheaper given that Apple always offer quality and unique products and they need to compete against other brands.
What’s the Outlook for Foldable iPhones?
The Samsung Galaxy Fold hit the market in 2019. Three years later, the entry price is lower, more phone makers join, and more options are available. Still, foldable smartphones are not a thing yet.
And we can’t help but wonder how many people want a foldable smartphone. Or do we need a foldable phone? There are concerns about the future of foldable smartphones. But when Apple enters the game with its first foldable iPhone, they might cause a sensation and expand the market as they usually do with almost every new design.
It’s been a while since we saw real breakthroughs in the mobile phone industry. To some extent, foldable smartphones could push the industry forward. In today’s world, when smartphones have become more alike, the excitement of new designs is real.
