Apple is developing its first foldable iPhone, and insiders are reporting that this unusual new device is currently on its way to release. in less than two years.
The tech giant has long been rumored to have plans for a clamshell-style smartphone, and it has previously published numerous patents that corroborated all the speculation.
But a new report now claims that two different-sized prototypes, codenamed “V68,” are currently in much more official development, and that suppliers in Asia are in talks to manufacture components for these devices.
Previous reports from industry watchers and Apple leakers earlier this year have also suggested that this long-awaited competitor to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip even has a working title: iPhone Flip.
Although an Apple spokesperson declined to comment, the new report attributes its reporting to “two people with direct knowledge of the matter.”
According to experts, Apple’s rumored competitor to Samsung’s Galaxy Z, Motorola’s Razr Plus, and Google’s Pixel Fold already has a tentative name: iPhone Flip. Above, a render from YouTuber ConceptsiPhone, who has been experimenting with foldable iPhone designs for years.
An Apple patent, titled “Flexible Display Devices,” filed on October 12, 2018, showed what appears to be a foldable phone (above). A new report claims that two different-sized prototypes are in development, codenamed “V68.”
In one form factor, the screen is displayed in a triangular position, where presumably people sitting on either side of the screen could view the same content simultaneously.
These sources told the tech news site Information It typically takes 24 months for a new iPhone model to complete its life cycle from initial manufacturing to completion.
But as the site was at pains to stress, a highly experimental concept like this promised clamshell foldable iPhone could take longer than usual to develop — though it could arrive in 2026, just after that 24-month window.
According to current and former Apple sources, the company’s industrial design team wants an iPhone Flip that is truly “superior” in thickness, half that of current iPhones.
However, limitations in shrinking batteries and touchscreen internals have undermined these grand ambitions for years, they said.
However, the latest news from the tech news site is that these issues may finally be resolved.
Apple plans to release a significantly thinner iPhone next year, The Information reported Tuesday, internally codenamed “D23.”
Reports this year indicate that Apple has already reached out to at least one component manufacturer in Asia to source parts for two sizes of the “iPhone Flip,” though there are no plans to mass produce the device in 2024 or 2025. Above, another recent render from ConceptsiPhone
Among the possibly lingering challenges facing the iPhone Flip is preventing a persistent crease from forming in the middle of the phone’s display after repeated use.
Similarly, Apple has been secretly working to design a foldable phone with an external display that is durable enough for everyday use.
A former Apple employee told the site that Apple hardware engineers found that prototypes with an outward-facing display were “prone to breaking when dropped.”
These hurdles or revised economic considerations could leave the iPhone Flip in the dust, they said.
“Apple is known to cancel projects in the late stages of development, and there is no guarantee that it will release the foldable iPhone,” The Information reported.
Sources also suggested that Apple sees a foldable iPad as a simpler engineering feat and a less risky entry into the market. Above, another recent rendering from ConceptsiPhone
A new Apple patent, published in May, indicates that the company is still hoping to realize its dreams of achieving a uniquely Apple advancement in foldable mobile technology: an outside-the-fold touchscreen (pictured above).
But other sources have suggested that Apple sees a foldable iPad as a simpler engineering feat and a less risky market offering, given declining iPhone sales.
The company sees the iPad Flip as a novelty item that could gauge customer interest in its new designs before competing with multiple foldable phone rivals on home turf.
‘Apple will only release the product when it is sure, as it cannot afford to lose customers due to an average device,’ according to Kaushik Bosean executive at Green Tiger Mobility who has been closely watching the foldable space.
“Manufacturers are unsure about the longevity of foldable displays,” Bose noted in public comments on Quora.
“Nobody knows if they will actually last more than a year or two,” the executive said, “as lines appear to be appearing on some of the older (first-generation) foldable devices.”
In the early days of Apple foldable phone rumors, CCS Insight analyst Ben Wood expressed the common view that there was “really no need” for Apple to enter the foldable phone market.
“You can be sure that they’ve had flexible display technology in their labs for the last decade,” Wood told MailOnline.
“But there is no commercial imperative for Apple to take the risk of entering a niche market when the iPhone is so incredibly successful.”