Samsung has the bendy Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the clamshell of the Galaxy Z Flip 3, there is a reboot of the Motorola Razr and even Google is said to have a folding Pixel in the works. While competitors have released a variety of folding handsets, Apple has been moving slowly in the market. But, this may be a smart move, as folding phones are subject to mixed reviews.
Apple released a number of new products in 2021. These include the iPhone 13, Apple Watch 7, upgraded MacBook Pros and AirPods 3, to name a few. However, as expected, we have not yet received a snapshot of the cracked iPhone, which may be called the iPhone Flip. While the release date of the iPhone Flip seems to be a moving target, rumors suggest that Apple’s roll may come in early 2023. However, that did not stop the rumors about the possible iPhone collapse.
For years we have been following the crippling iPhone reports. Back in 2017, it was predicted that the folding iPhone could arrive in the futuristic-sounding year 2020. Obviously, that did not happen. Analysts and commentators have been kicking the release date ever since, and rumors and wish lists are shrinking. Here is all we know so far.
Release Date: The launch of the iPhone Flip is a moving goal
It’s no secret that Apple has things to look forward to in the folding iPhone. The company has been registering patents for packaging and devices for almost a decade without a noticeable launch date. The question is, will any of them ever see the light of day, and if so, when?
The first rumors point to 2021 as a possible date, but a year has passed without the iPhone rolling. A report from longtime Apple analyst Ming Chi Kuo (via MacRumors) suggests that the year 2023 could be even more realistic, if at all possible. According to Kuo, Apple still needs to find technical and mass production problems before bringing a device like this to market, which is why the wait.
The speculation from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman echoes Kuo’s speculation. In his book Power On Newsletter, Gurman states that the folding iPhone may not last for another two to three years. Recent rumors from commentator Ross Young say that the folding iPhone is expected by 2023 early, but it is very likely that it will arrive by 2024.
Design: What will the folding iPhone look like?
The 2023 timeline will be in line with a report from Bloomberg last year which revealed that Apple already has a working model for the iPhone wrap. Although it is not yet a viable model, it is a step from the patent that until then, has been what we have seen.
Apple seems to have taken away all the patents under the sun when it comes to folding displays, including a folding origami style display, a flip-up display and even a threatening display. And while we do not know which will be the last cut, Kuo and Bloomberg both seem to agree that the current prototype is a traditional folding design that can open up a 7.5- or 8-inch main display.
Unlike Microsoft’s Surface Duo, which has hinges on the outside, Apple will have a single continuous display with a hidden hinge machine like the Galaxy Fold.
However, Apple leaker Jon Prosser reported in early 2021 that the iPhone Flip would probably use the clamshell design and be in several “fun colors”. Amidst the shiny purple iPhone 12, the new blue and pink option of the iPhone 13, the colorful range of Apple’s first rolling device is a possibility.
YouTuber ConceptsiPhone also gave us a glimpse of how the iPhone Flip can look with the artistic concept of the folding iPhone in blue, red, gold and green.
Roadblocks: What’s standing in Apple’s way?
While Samsung and others tested the water, Apple was studying the painful areas of their folding equipment and discovering how to use it.
One of these pain points: crease. Many of the current cover items, including glass and plastic blend used by Samsung in the Z Fold and Z Flip, show a visible crease when wrapped in full screen. To avoid it, Apple may be waiting for Corning, Apple’s glass supplier, to make some kind of flexible version of its Ceramic Shield screen. The company is already working with folding glass, but has not yet announced the launch date.
Cost: Mobile phones are not cheap
Price is another major problem for these types of devices. Although Samsung has reduced the price of its latest mobile phones, its previous model, Fold 2, has cost $ 2,000 which is twice the price of Samsung’s other flagship phones. Also, a folding iPhone would not be cheap. Apple’s wrapper needs to keep up with current and flexible models so that it can compete with other brands and entice iPhone users to drop their devices on a single screen and pay extra for wrap.
An April report found that half of American consumers are more interested in buying a compact phone, although Apple customers are less willing to jump than Samsung or LG users. But maybe the “Apple effect” will change those figures when and when the collapsible iPhone becomes a reality.
To find out more, check out all we’ve heard about the iPhone 14 and iPhone SE 3. You can also check out our guesses for Apple’s next event.