Foldable phones are all the rage these days, gobbling up plenty of attention. However, they’re not quite yet the mainstream devices some companies might hope (due in large part to the price tags). That may change when/if Apple hops into the circus at some point in the future.
And, sure enough, there have been rumors that Apple is indeed at least investigating the idea. The most interesting part of the rumors at this point is the back-and-forth between the actual design of the future device. Will Apple go with something like Samsung and other companies have made, offering up a single display that actually folds? Or will the company follow in the steps of Microsoft and launch a device with a pair of two, separate displays connected by a hinge?
Well, if a new report from United Daily News is to be believed, Apple is actually in the process of testing both. What’s more, both designs have actually passed internal durability tests, one of the most important steps in the development process.
According to the report, tests for two foldable iPhone prototypes were completed at the Foxconn factory in Shenzhen, China, recently. The first of the two is a dual-screen iPhone, similar to what we’ve seen in recent patent applications — and what was rumored by serial leaker Jon Prosser earlier this year as well. That rumor suggested this iPhone will have two separate displays, with a hinge in the middle to connect them. When the device is open, and the displays are connected, the viewing experience is said to be “fairly continuous and seamless”.
Next up, a foldable phone that features an actual folding display, similar to what’s present in the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. This would be a clamshell design, so it would be different than what Samsung offers in the Galaxy Z Fold. It’s been reported in the past that Apple ordered a large number of Samsung-made foldable OLED displays. That initial batch of orders was probably for testing purposes.
The report indicates these prototype devices are still in the very early stages of design. That means there aren’t many internal elements in place quite yet, and these are not fully working devices. This is more about the physical design, the overall durability than anything else. We don’t even know if the same hinge system is being used in both devices, or if Apple is toying with different designs for each.
Apple will reportedly only go with one of these two designs, so it will be interesting to see which, if any, foldable iPhone makes it to market at some point in the future.
Which of these designs are you hoping to see Apple bring to market?