Hot on the heels of launching its first major new product in years, the Vision Pro Headset, Apple is planning to bite the bullet and launch folding iPhones and iPads, according to reports in US media.
US tech specialist website The Information reported sources revealing the tech titan is working on prototypes for “clamshell”-style folding smartphones, which would match those already on offer from big rivals such as Samsung.
The move, should it come to fruition, would be a big shift for Apple, which has ceded the folding phone market to the likes of Samsung, Google, Oppo and Motorola for almost five years.
Famously perfectionist in its design principles, Apple has reportedly tinkered with foldable phones over the years, but has avoided launching any devices that have problems, despite data showing consumers like being able to open and close their phones.
Samsung devices, including last year’s Galaxy Z Flip5, have sold well, despite some problems with durability. Folding OLED screens still are not as hardy as glass-coated standard screens, and the screen protectors that are applied to mitigate this can bubble and peel off over time.
Samsung customers put up with imperfection with early models of folding phones that did not fully close. Small gaps at the hinge let dust and other debris in, and the new report says Apple is unwilling to compromise its reputation with such flaws.
The report says Apple is working on two clamshell-style foldable iPhone prototypes, but it is not slated for mass production until at least 2026.
The plans are still reportedly at the experimental stage, with Apple’s engineers said to be struggling to make screens on the exterior of the device strong enough. It is also trying to make folding iPhones that are no thicker than regular iPhones when folded – a technical challenge that has eluded all phone makers to date.
Reports suggests Apple is more likely to launch a folding iPad before an iPhone, due to fewer concerns about the device’s width and less fallout for the company if it is not well received.
Source: https://www.afr.com/technology/apple-is-reportedly-working-on-foldable-iphones-20240208-p5f3au