Every now and then, we hear a whisper about what Apple is cooking up in its laboratories in Cupertino. Whether it’s a processor bump for a new iPad or a revolutionary car navigation system, leaks are inevitable and give us a glimpse at what Apple might see as the future of its product lines.
This week, we heard once again that they’re working on devices with foldable screens, a product category that Apple has been absent from since it burst onto the scene over five years ago. According to a report from The Information, the company has a couple of prototype iPhones that look like the Galaxy Z Flip 5, as well as a flexible 8-inch iPad.
But alas, we’re not getting them any time soon.
I’m sure that Apple is waiting to release any sort of folding device until the “right time” comes, if history is any indication, but even if they wanted to drop a foldable iPhone in the next couple of years, engineering challenges are holding them up. The foldable iPhones that are in prototype stages now are prone to breaking, according to the report, and Apple can’t seem to get the design right.
The Information says that the iPhones use a clamshell design, similar to the Z Flip 5, so Apple wants to include screens on their exteriors. The problems arise when they try to fit them into the phones along with the chips, batteries, and other components; these foldable iPhones are apparently very thin, so thin that when closed, they’re about the same width as a standard iPhone. That’s the objective Apple is trying to reach with the design, but it’s having issues engineering a way to fit it all into such a slim form factor.
Apple reportedly halted progress of the foldable iPhone back in 2020 to focus on an easier project: an 8-inch iPad that folds inwardly. A device of this caliber can be thicker than the iPhone they’re trying to create, and it won’t need any screens on the exterior.
But it’s still no easy feat, especially if Apple’s engineers want to meet the company’s design standards. According to The Information, Apple’s struggles with the foldable iPad involve the display and hinge. The report mentions Apple’s desire to reduce the crease on the display so it’s perfectly flat, as well as producing a hinge that opens completely flat. Over the years, hinge design on foldables has improved, with many smartphones able to open completely flat with no issue. However, it’s much harder to reduce the crease in the middle of the screen, and I imagine Apple will hold off from shipping any foldables if it’s not happy with how noticeable and deep the crease is.
Details beyond that point remain scarce for both the foldable iPhone and iPad, as well as when we might expect them. The report did mention that Apple could ship a folding iPad in 2026 or 2027, but it remains unclear when we’ll see the first foldable iPhone.
So, we know they exist. They’re out there, locked away in some facility in Cupertino or otherwise. We know Apple is working on them, and we know that one day, we might get them. But that day won’t be any time soon.
Sigh.
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