Apple Eyes 2026 for Foldable iPhones, Pivots to Inward-Folding iPad Development

A new report suggested that Apple is actively creating prototypes of at least two foldable iPhones after more than five years of research and development.

Apple Continues Work on Folding iPhones; No Launch Until at Least 2026

According to sources with "direct knowledge" of the project, the two iPhone prototypes fold widthwise like a clamshell. The gadgets are in early development and do not appear in the company's mass production plans for 2024 or 2025, making 2026 the earliest likely launch date, as per MacRumors.

The company has sought a supplier in Asia for components for two foldable iPhone models with varying sizes. According to the article, foldable iPhones may still be canceled if they do not fulfill Apple's requirements.

Apple's interest in offering a foldable iPhone has fluctuated over time, The Information claimed. In 2018, Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly approached designers and engineers about developing a foldable iPhone. Later that year, he reacted positively to a presentation of a foldable iPhone with a 7-inch screen.

Apple Shifts Focus: From Foldable iPhone to Developing Inward Folding iPad

The company is apparently concerned about technical hurdles and providing enough compelling features on the tablet to justify its high price compared to non-foldable handsets. Apple had planned for the foldable iPhone to have the display on the outside when closed.

However, engineers encountered durability issues with this design. The industrial design team aimed for a device that was no thicker than existing iPhone models when closed. Limits in battery and display technology made this impossible.

The business suspended work on a foldable iPhone in 2020 and shifted to an inward-folding iPad with an Apple 8-inch display, similar to the iPad mini. According to Apple, the device could be thicker than a folding iPhone since customers would not carry it in their pocket, and it would not need to meet the stringent durability criteria of an iPhone. A foldable iPad would allow Apple to test the product category on a modest scale.

Engineers are presently working to eliminate the crease that occurs in the middle of the display as a result of frequent folding, as well as build a hinge that lets the display rest completely flat rather than having a little bump or dip in the middle, which may interfere with the Apple Pencil. The company is apparently collaborating with LG and Samsung on displays for the foldable iPad.

Photo: Yuheng Ouyang/Unsplash