According to some recent reports, Apple is currently testing foldable screens for a possible foldable iPhone. The scope of the work is apparently just the development of a foldable screen at the moment and the company has no plans to launch a real device. Still, a foldable iPhone looks very likely, given that foldable smartphones are expected to be the fastest growing flagship phone category in the coming years and all major manufacturers are expected to have a foldable portfolio by 2025.
Apple apparently developed both shell and book prototypes and it was said that it was leaning towards the first, which indicated that the device would be more of a competitor to the Galaxy Z Flip. This bodes well for a recent leak that also says the foldable iPhone will be aimed at young users. The Cupertino giant has already discussed several sizes, including one that is almost identical to the iPhone 12 Pro Max when deployed.
A new report from the research firm EqualOcean paints a different picture.
It looks like the foldable iPhone will be a hybrid phone-tablet
Citing analyst Omdia, reports say the foldable iPhone will have an OLED screen that will be between 7.3 and 7.6 inches. More interestingly, the report also claims that the phone will support a pen. It is best to handle this with a pinch of salt, as the Apple Pencil is not currently compatible with any iPhone. That said, a 2019 forecast of investment bank UBS, and a hole in a The Twitter leak suggests that Apple’s first foldable device will actually be a foldable iPad.
At the end of the day, it is too early to say anything, as most rumors claim that a foldable iPhone is long overdue, including today’s report that outlines the 2023 launch schedule.