According to rumours, Apple’s iPhone Flip could be the world’s first foldable phone when it is released. Here’s what we’ve learned so far.
There’s no way to tell for sure what the iPhone Flip will look like until it’s officially unveiled. Rumors may have already changed by that time. As far as we can tell, Apple is interested in foldable technology and will not allow Samsung to monopolise its share of the market.
The market for foldable smartphones continues to expand. Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Flip 3 Bespoke Editions were released simultaneously by Samsung, allowing customers to customise their foldables with a variety of colour options. Microsoft’s Surface Duo 2 with twin screens is also available right now. The battle for the best foldable phone is clearly underway.
As far as I know, it hasn’t happened yet. A new product is often not released until the company is confident in its ability to outperform its competitors. (While the iPhone was not the first smartphone, it certainly outperformed its predecessors.) Patents and concept drawings from independent designers show that the iPhone Flip/Fold might be a big hit for Apple.
You can find the most recent reports and concepts here. When the new iPhone is out, we’ll have a better idea of what it’ll be like, but until then, we can only speculate.
Rumors about the release date of the iPhone Flip
The iPhone Flip’s release date is still up in the air, but recent reports point to a 2023 or 2024 launch date.
Ross Young, a display analyst with a proven track record of predicting Apple product launches, believes the company will unveil a foldable iPhone in 2017. In addition, he said that the year 2024 is most likely to see the introduction of such a gadget.
But according to a new estimate from Ming-Chi Kuo, it may not be until 2025 before we see a foldable iPhone.
The iPhone’s display can be flipped.
According to Ming-Chi Kuo, the first foldable iPhone would have an 8-inch display. It would be larger than the Galaxy Z Fold 3, which has a 7.6-inch screen when opened. The iPad mini’s 8.3-inch screen would be nearly as big on an 8-inch panel.
Alternatively, a third rumour states that Apple and LG are collaborating on an OLED foldable display panel with a 7.5-inch diagonal.
Apple is reportedly testing a 9-inch foldable display, according to another rumour from Kuo. As of now, there are no other foldable smartphones on the market.
Color e-ink displays are also being considered for the outer display of foldables, according to Kuo. Battery consumption could be reduced by using this type of screen, although it would be less responsive than an LCD or OLED panel.
What will the iPhone Flip design look like?
A fold-out hybrid tablet like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold lineup and a clamshell flip phone design like the Galaxy Z Flip range have been studied by Apple, according to Jon Prosser. Apple is also said to be moving forwards with the clamshell design, according to those same sources, but it is still early in the development phase, so anything is possible.
Even more recently, PatentlyApple discovered a new patent that displays a flexible display that folds closed but leaves a small strip at the bottom open for quick access to notifications and contextual information. Think of it as a tiny version of the MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar.
Apple’s early ideas on foldable designs, including a patent for a tri-folding display, may be found in patents filed much before 2020. It is possible to see an early foldable iPhone patent from 2016, thanks to MacRumors, which shows what appears to be a vertically-folding phone akin to the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Motorola Razr.
As a result, concept renderings portraying various iPhone Flip/Fold looks are being shared by designers. With its thin bezels and centrally-placed hole-punch camera, this 3D model by the YouTube account dubbed #iOS beta news appears like a Galaxy Z Flip clone down to its minimal external display and vertical orientation. It’s a design that we might see Apple launching, at the very least with some additional fine-tuning.
LetsGoDigital has released a new iPhone Flip concept design that includes a lower notch and an external cover display.
Similarly, ConceptsiPhone has also released a video of an iPhone Flip concept that resembles an Apple version of the Galaxy Z Flip 3. For the first time, the iPhone 12 has an in-screen Touch ID sensor and a smaller notch than the iPhone 12. There’s also an M1 chip, which may sound crazy, but considering Apple’s use of M1 silicon in the iPad Pro and Air, it’s possible that high-end phones will one day contain the M1 processor instead of the standard A-series chip.
While the Galaxy Z Flip features an exterior notification screen, Antonio De Rosa’s concept for a foldable iPhone retains some of the more distinguishing elements of the iPhone design. In a reference to Apple’s anticipated iPhone 14 plans, these include flat sides, an iPhone 13 Pro-like camera array, and the removal of the notch.
Cupertino won’t be able to do it all by itself when the first foldable iPhone appears. According to various reports, Apple has been in talks with both LG and Samsung to offer flexible displays for its upcoming devices for the previous three years. According to Korean media (via MacRumors) in March 2019, Samsung Display provided samples of their display panels to Apple for testing.
Couldn’t it have used a dual-panel technique like Microsoft’s Surface Duo for its first folding smartphone? Cupertino may have developed a prototype of this design, according to Jon Prosser of Front Page Tech. According to Prosser, this phone retains its rounded shape, but it has a hinge and the two separate screens come together quite easily when outstretched, unlike the iPhone 12, which reintroduced flat edges.
When it comes to protecting your phone, you can’t go wrong with the iPhone
An updated ceramic shield for the iPhone Flip was hinted at in a patent filed in October 2020. It would have four layers: a cover layer, a hardcoat layer, an inner surface, and a transparent support layer, and it would be specifically tailored for flexible displays. Even sapphire or glass might be used as a support layer for added strength.
A “self-healing material” layer has also been rumoured to be able to lessen the appearance of scratches and dents on the display.
A foldable iPhone from Apple is far from certain, but Prosser’s research shows that a number of scenarios are possible for the company’s first folding phone. If Apple isn’t enamoured with the reliability, durability, or pricing of a gadget with a single, folding screen, dual-screen hardware could ultimately win out.
Apple filed a patent in February 2020 for a foldable display that could hypothetically bend in the middle without causing significant stress on the surface. When placed inside the hinge, the screen would sag slightly, rather than hard fold. It is hoped that such a design will help to extend the display’s life. However, it’s worth pointing out that the Galaxy Z Flip has a similar design.
As a result, Apple has filed a new patent for a crack-resistant display for the flip version of the iPhone.
How much would the iPhone Flip cost?
For two reasons, this may be the most difficult question to answer: First, price has never been a factor in any of the few foldable iPhone rumours that have surfaced; this suggests the iPhone Flip will ship later rather than sooner; and second, Apple’s approach to design is likely to have a major impact on how much the device costs.
With a 7.3-inch tablet-like display when unfolded and a tiny 4-inch panel on the outside, the Galaxy Fold debuted for $1,980. With a 6.7-inch screen covered in Ultra-Thin Glass for enhanced durability and priced at $600 less, the Galaxy Z Flip was unveiled just six months later. Z Fold 3 was priced at $1,799 while Z Flip 3 was priced at $999 when they were first released, keeping the price gap the same.
When it comes to pricing, a foldable iPhone from Apple might be as much as the $1,099 iPhone 13 Pro Max if it is smaller and less expensive. Even said, it’s feasible that the price of the foldable iPhone, like the Galaxy Z Fold 3, might exceed that of Apple’s more traditional devices.
Flipping an iPhone: A contest
A foldable phone may be a year away if the iPhone Flip doesn’t debut until 2023, giving Apple’s competitors a head start. According to reports, Samsung’s third generation of the Galaxy Z Fold and the Galaxy Z Flip have sold well, and pricing is likely a factor; the first foldable phone to be marketed for less than $1,000 is the Galaxy Z Flip 3.
In the event that Motorola keeps working on the Razr as a foldable phone, the iPhone Flip will have some stiff competition when it launches, even if no other Android phone manufacturers follow suit.
Another contender appears to be pulling out of the contest to create the best foldable device. While Apple was working on its own foldable phone, Google had been working on its own version of the Pixel Fold. A rumour suggested Google was abandoning the Pixel Fold, but further reports said the project is still ongoing and the phone will be released by the end of 2022, notwithstanding that earlier report. We’ll have to wait and see if anyone else can make foldable phones a success besides Samsung.
Apple has never been the first to market with any of its iconic products; instead, it has launched iPods, iPhones, and iPads only after determining that they improved upon previous models. With the iPhone Flip, you could expect the firm to follow suit.
iPhone Rotate the view
One thing is for certain about Apple’s foldable iPhone plans: Whatever technique the company chooses for its first foldable phone will undoubtedly shape the future of mobile technology.
Despite the fact that Samsung was the first to introduce a foldable phone with the Galaxy Fold, the company is continuing to experiment with alternative designs in order to better understand what consumers desire.
With each new iPhone, Apple has established a new trend in the mobile market: the abolition of the headphone jack, the elimination of bezels, and the adoption of the notch. As a result, 2020’s iPhone 12 was likely the first time most people were exposed to 5G technology.
Finally, the future of foldable technology and the smartphone industry as a whole depends on Apple’s approach to making a foldable iPhone.