The internet is full of rumors that Apple is working on a foldable iPhone, and patents even show that Apple has experimented with different layouts … but if there is one thing I learned about Apple, they only launch products that fit perfectly in their ecosystem, and they spend years developing products in search of perfection; although it can sometimes mean that competitors beat them. With that said, Svyatoslav Alexandrov’s iPhone Fold concept is an attractive case for a foldable smartphone. Here’s why.
From a strict ecosystem perspective, the iPhone Fold helps Apple develop a product that falls into two categories – the extremely popular smartphone category and the dead mini-tablet category. With the iPhone Fold, Apple could easily discontinue the iPad Mini and focus on high-end, professional-level tablets. The foldable phone would absorb the features of the iPad Mini, offering you a device that is literally the best of both worlds.
The iPhone Fold concept developed by Svyatoslav Alexandrov (for the YouTube channel ConceptsiPhone) comes in the well-known Galaxy Fold format, with a 6.3-inch primary display on the outside and a larger 8-inch foldable display on the inside. It replaces FaceID with the trusted TouchID and turns the entire main screen into a fingerprint sensor – so you can unlock your phone by simply swiping up. The lack of FaceID means a significantly smaller notch with just a front camera for selfies. The rear, however, comes with the entire iPhone 12 Pro camera setup, with large, ultra-large and telephoto lenses, along with a flash and a LiDAR scanner. Open the iPhone and it turns into a square iPad Mini, designed to be perfectly portable. Although the concept doesn’t say much about whether this device supports the Apple Pencil, I would like to think so, and designer Svyatoslav Alexandrov mentions that the concept is compatible with MagSafe and ready for 5G, which already makes it a very good replacement iPad , all things considered.
Several sources say Apple is already working on a foldable phone and patents show that the company is researching details about hinges and even foldable batteries. However, until foldable phones really prove to be a category of smartphones that are here to stay, I suspect that Apple’s experiences will never really see the light of day. However, it’s fun to speculate how a foldable iPhone could fit well into the Apple ecosystem by reviving one product line (the iPhone) and retiring another (the iPad Mini)!
Designer: Svyatoslav Alexandrov for ConceptsiPhone
