Another report corroborates that the long-rumored iPhone Fold is no longer an idea but actually a product Apple wants to develop. This time, the news aggregator yeux1122 revealed that Cupertino has recently entered the “formal development process” with display companies to make this device a reality.
While yeux1122 doesn’t reveal when Apple plans to release this product or how long it will take to make the first working prototypes, the report aligns with a report that The Information published a few months ago.
In July, the publication said Apple gave the iPhone Fold project a “V68” codename. At the time, The Information said Apple wanted to use a “clamshell” design for its foldable iPhone, which could make it similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip and Motorola’s Razr phones. As previously rumored, Cupertino has been struggling to eliminate a visible crease where the device’s screen folds. However, the company apparently now believes it can overcome this issue.
With the Galaxy Z Flip 6, Samsung was able to make the crease less visible. Although it’s still there, it’s becoming less prominent. In a couple of years, it’s possible it could completely disappear. By working closely with Samsung Display and other display manufacturers, it’s possible that Apple might overcome this issue by the time it wants to release its first iPhone Fold by 2026.
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Apple could be readying the iPhone Fold for 2026 or 2027
The Information believes Apple started this project around 2020, but it might need a few more years until it’s completed. More interestingly, Korean outlet The Elec has recently learned that Apple is considering a 2026 or 2027 release date for a foldable device about the same size as the iPad mini.
The report doesn’t call it a phone. Previous rumors said that Apple’s first foldable device might be a tablet rather than an iPhone.
While The Information believes a 2026 release makes more sense, The Elec points out that 2027 would mark the 20th anniversary of the iPhone and the 10th anniversary of the first iPhone with an OLED panel. The latter isn’t really a cause for celebration. The 2017 iPhone X had to be different because Apple celebrated the handset’s 10th anniversary. And the OLED screen allowed Apple to make an all-screen display in addition to the TrueDepth system.
However, making a foldable iPhone in 2027 to mark the iPhone’s 20th anniversary would be a big deal. Thanks to this report, I now think this could be Apple’s ultimate goal, which is to reshape once again how we use and interact with our iPhones by introducing a foldable variant.
The post iPhone Fold is one step closer to actually becoming a real product appeared first on BGR.
