Apple is working on a foldable clamshell iPhone, report says | Mashable.
Apple is working on a foldable clamshell iPhone, report says
 |
| One day, there will (probably) be an iPhone that folds. That day may not happen very soon, though. Credit: husayno / getty images |
Still dreaming of a foldable iPhone? We've got good news and bad news for you.
According to a new report by The Information (via 9to5Mac), Apple is actively developing several foldable devices, and has at least two prototypes of clamshell folding models.
The bad news: The foldable iPhone appears to be in early development, and it may not launch very soon. Worse news: Apple still seems to be hitting all the old roadblocks that cause the company to halt the foldable phone development back in 2020.
According to the report, Apple wanted this phone to be really thin when unfolded, about half the thickness of the current phone models, and the company also looked into adding an outward-facing display. But it appears the company's designers and engineers were unable to achieve these goals. They're also working on a way for the phone's display to be fully flat when unfolded, but there's no word on whether they've achieved this, either.
All of this means that the foldable iPhone likely isn't coming this year or the next. Maybe 2026 is the year?
Apple is also reportedly working on a larger device, a foldable iPad if you will. The report says that this device would have an 8-inch, inward folding display; so you'd get something that's as large as an iPad mini when folded, and close to the larger iPad Pro when unfolded. Such a device might actually be closer to production than the iPhone, as Apple's standards regarding thickness may not be as strict when it comes to a larger, tablet-like device.
Topics Apple
As far as I remember iPhone 6 Plus was foldable…
ReplyDeletehttps://www.extremetech.com/mobile/270055-documents-reveal-apple-was-aware-of-iphone-6-bendgate-issues-before-launch?
DeleteYou mean a flip phone?
ReplyDeleteawww, playing catch up again?
ReplyDeleteIt seems likely that they’re looking to do this in a way other companies currently aren’t, so this doesn’t really qualify as catch-up.
DeleteTHIS IS MY WAY OF HELPING OUT THOSE FACING CHALLENGES THIS MONTH, I’ll SUPPORT SEVEN INDIVIDUALS WITH 5 GRANDS WHO WRITES TO ME USING THE PHRASE "BLESSED"
ReplyDeleteTired of low paycheck hmu” with “GOD DID” rn let’s get $2000 daily on few easy steps …. No discrimination cause God made it possible for us too be here on this blessed day❤️
ReplyDeleteNo upfront fee ❌
No scam zone ❌
It seems like the game has changed, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteWho knew, Apple 'folding' 🤣🤣🤣
DeleteSamsung has already done it!
ReplyDeleteI’d do the lengthwise fold. Not the clamshell
ReplyDeleteI have my doubts about any oft-used device that is foldable. They are fraught with problems. Years ago I had two Motorola RAZR phones in succession. They were certainly pretty, but both soon died due to hinge components. I gave up on them.
ReplyDeleteApple might be better advised to solve the large screen issue by creating larger, free-standing touch screens of various sizes that would pair wirelessly with their latest iPhones. Those would not need to be hinged or foldable. People could use their phones as phones without the bother and risks of a foldable design and yet also have a larger screen when needed. That would be the best of both worlds and it wouldn't be doing a me-too with Samsung.
Here's the pretty but troubled RAZR phone.
https://imgur.com/a/vOzz815
I have always said that a foldable phone that is as thick as a normal phone when folded makes sense.
ReplyDeleteFoldable phones that are twice as thick don’t make sense.
That said, I am not interested in such a factor, and I think a tablet version is much more interesting.
As the dimensions of the phone get larger I could see a decent size subset of the market preferring a foldable iPhone even if it's thicker.
DeleteI have a colleague with a Samsung folding phone, and even with the thickness; it fits in the pockets of her clothing that would come nowhere close to accommodating an iPhone 15.
If they made an Apple version of the Pixel Fold with a small carpenter-style Apple Pencil support(magnetically attached like the Surface Pen 2) I would buy in a heartbeat.
ReplyDeleteI like that a foldable iPhone and also" Apple has also been developing a larger form-factor foldable iPad, having faced challenges with the foldable iPhone project, according to the report" Very nice thank you for the information.
ReplyDeleteWell, if they're really looking forward, let's hope it has a way of dialing as if using a rotary phone.
ReplyDeleteI don't get why is this an improvement and I mean it in good faith. My phone already fits in my pocket and pretty much everywhere, why would you want that extra step of having to unfold it when you take it out?
ReplyDeleteNobody wants an extra step like unfolding unless it provides a benefit like a bigger or more useful screen from a device that is the same size as today's phone or provides the same utility and screen size as today's phones but in a smaller form factor. Some people won't want a fold at all, but a fair number of people probably won't mind.
DeleteYeah, if I can carry a phone that still fits in my pocket and can be unfolded into a larger screen I can see why some people would find value in that.
DeleteAt some point apple ams Samsung are going to tag team on the exact hardware and then people just install the software / OS they want. Cause at this point the phone look and do the same things. Let just get to it at this point.
ReplyDeleteI’d still use iOS.
DeleteNothing wrong with exploring foldable phones or tablets. Consumers that want it will buy it.
ReplyDeleteCan’t see this happening and I definitely wouldn’t want it. Plastic screens suck. They’re soft and feel bad when you touch them. And you can’t fold glass.
ReplyDeleteNo just no
ReplyDeleteI would buy a foldable iPhone on day one - for sure! The iPhone 15 Pro is the most boring beige thing that Apple’s ever designed.
ReplyDeleteStill trying to figure out who wants this.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.bing.com/images/search?q=foldable%20phone&qs=n&form=QBIRMH&sp=-1&lq=0&pq=foldable%20pho&sc=10-12&cvid=B4735019A198440C8E4E3E06F369DF27&ghsh=0&ghacc=0&first=1
ReplyDeleteif I could setup a Watch from an iPad the iPad mini + Watch SE would be my dream combo
ReplyDeleteWould like to see the iPad Mini get this as a standout feature for a while. It could use a refresh and some focused attention.
ReplyDeleteA folding iPad makes more sense to me than a folding phone. If a device is already relatively small, there's little to gain from making it smaller still.
ReplyDeleteThe minor benefits derived from foldables still seem vastly outweighed by the trade-offs. I do not get it.
ReplyDeleteI wanted a foldable for years and I tried to invest on the Z Flip 4 when it was released. I had it as my main phone for 18 months and I changed recently to an iPhone 15 Pro Max. Mostly because of the ecosystem since i am using MacBook and iPad, but there is one more serious issue I had: the screen is SO sensitive! I am deeply obsessed in keeping all of my devices in perfect condition (I never ever dropped any of my phones and the screens are always clean and shiny thanks to a microfiber cloth I take with me everywhere). But this thing (Z Flip 5) is full of minor nicks and scratches on the screen to a very annoying extent! The pre applied screen protector lasted for about 6 months until it peeled off through the crease and I had to remove it before it got a dust magnet. Because here in Cyprus we don’t have official Samsung service, it was impossible to find anyone able to replace it properly. The actual screen lasted for another 5 months scratch free but I am disappointed.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, Foldables are very disposable devices for the moment (and I doubt they will ever get as tough as the slab phones). If you don’t mind to change phones every couple of years it’s ok. But I am usually keeping my phones for 4-5 years and I want them to be durable.
I’ve yet to see a foldable phone that didn’t have a terrible crease down the middle of it. Until then, I’ll avoid them, iPhone or Android.
ReplyDeleteI'm avoiding them until I can fold it into a cute origami shape. I like my paperweights to look nice on my desk.
Delete/s
Using the Pixel Fold in tablet mode for web browsing, streaming, etc it's not really visible. If you're showing someone something though from an angle it's definitely apparent, but not sure how many generations we're away from that being solved.
DeleteThe benefit of having the large display when out easily outweighs the viewing from an angle issue.
Great. So we’re going to get the same ol’, same ol’ from Apple until 2026 or 2027.
ReplyDeleteAh I see where you get confused. We are getting the same phone from 2021 with USB-C until 2027.
DeletePosted from my iPhone 13
My engineering brain says that the hinged area is always going to be a problem. A buddy has a samsung fold something. He loves it, but I never can get any info from him regarding what it does that is special. He is in the "anybody but apple" ideology.
ReplyDeleteI always question if the world will buy a more expensive iPhone, and each year I am proven wrong, so I'll bet that there is someone out there that will buy it in quantity. I bought a top of the line iPhone 15 pro max, so I know I am one of the suckers.
You’re not a sucker. You know what you like, need and will use. You appreciate the Apple ecosystem, value, engineering and workmanship that goes into Apple devices,
DeleteMy engineering brain says that the hinged area is always going to be a problem. A buddy has a samsung fold something. He loves it, but I never can get any info from him regarding what it does that is special. He is in the "anybody but apple" ideology.
ReplyDeleteI always question if the world will buy a more expensive iPhone, and each year I am proven wrong, so I'll bet that there is someone out there that will buy it in quantity. I bought a top of the line iPhone 15 pro max, so I know I am one of the suckers.
These are definitely solutions looking for a problem. Recently I was on a commute standing next to someone using one of the Samsung clam shells, and this person kept folding and unfolding the phone every 10 seconds to check whatever they were looking at. Seems like a step down in functionality to me.
:/ I have followed this issue for a few years and have seen the non-Apple foldables.
ReplyDeleteI have yet to figure out WHY anyone wants or needs a foldable phone. Maybe a foldable iPad (?), but I do not see the need for a foldable phone.
I came from the flip-phone generation and do not wish to go back.
While I could see the possible utility of some things that can be checked without unfolding it (perhaps a partial screen on one half of the outside & MagSafe on the other half of the outside) as a means of achieving the small pocket size that the minis and models prior to the 6 had, while allowing more screen when desired. That being said, it seems to me that in addition to the mechanical weak point a hinge introduces, there’s the difficulty of keeping hermetic seals on a design that folds 180 degrees. The limited water resistance of current models isn’t a feature I’d be amenable to losing. Indeed, I hope Apple will continue to improve upon existing water resistance.
ReplyDeleteA foldable iPad? Count me in. A folding iPhone? Meh. They’re big enough. Just me though.
ReplyDeleteI’m hoping they stay the same size so they can fold to be smaller.
DeleteWhat makes a foldable iPad attractive? Genuine question.
DeleteAdvantage: You can possibly fit an iPad mini in your pocket.
DeleteDisadvantages:
Thicker.
Heavier, because the hinge is heavy.
Flimsy, because it is foldable.
Where do we charge the Pencil? The top is occupied by the hinge.
Even bigger camera bump.
In theory? Or in reality? Because these are 2 different things.
DeleteIn theory, you can have a large iPad (which is more usable, because it's large) that is more portable when folded (because it's small).
But that's about as far as the theoretical benefit goes. In reality, the very idea gimps the product as it has to be entirely designed around this. The creases and hinges are nightmare additions. The more portable shape is still much larger than a pocketable device, so it's not really more portable at all. If it has to go in a bag instead of a pocket, who cares how big or small it is when folded. To make it pocketable means the unfolded state is still way too small to be useful. It basically means an iPad mini that is folded in half to fit in your pocket. But who the hell wants an on-the-go iPad mini? Hardly anyone, by virtue of its sales history. The end product is too large to be an iPhone, and too small to be a (good) iPad.
I ride a motorcycle to work quite a bit. To be able to slip my iPad into my hip bag and be able to fit other stuff in would be very useful to me. I don't like backpacks on the bike and avoid using them if I can - if I come off, it's something that can damage my back if I have to roll.
DeleteAt other times to be able to shove it in my back pocket and not need a bag at all would be great.
They're not a bad idea. Makes the whole a lot more compact and portable. On the other hand, I'm not sure if it's really worth the effort to apply it to an already proven slate form factor. I'm curious, but I don't have my hopes up.
DeleteWhy is this in political news?
ReplyDeleteEDIT: They moved it after my post
Apple sure has been busy lately. Now I'm curious of what the final product is going to be, if anything emerges.
ReplyDeleteHas Tim Apple begun work on 8k video yet?
ReplyDeleteI’m sure that will be in iPhone 16 Pro or 17
DeleteHe's not a developer so... probably not.
Delete"Engineers are currently attempting to eliminate the crease that forms in the middle of the display due to repeated folding, as well as design a hinge that allows the display to lie totally flat, rather than possessing a small bump or dip in the middle, which could inhibit the Apple Pencil. The company is reportedly working with LG and Samsung on displays for the foldable iPad."
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly what bothers me about folding devices. I just can't get over it.
It more than bothers me. It's a reason why they shouldn't even exist.
DeleteThat hero image is the quintessential example of a solution in search of a problem. There is literally nothing wrong with the iPhone as is. We don't need to gimp the product just so we can fold it in half.
ReplyDeleteIs that the Royal we?
DeleteAsking for the peasants.
This is a product we don't need.
ReplyDeleteA foldable iPhone would just be silly money likely near £$2000.
DeleteI’d love Apple to stop making the iPhone the key device for its ecosystem. ie. Let me connect my Apple Watch to a foldable iPad & view all my fitness / health via a garmin connect website / app.
I’d happily drop the extra £$ for a iPad mini size device to see stuff easier & get rid of my 13PM. I only keep my 13PM purely for camera functionality & watch connectivity.
In an ideal world I wouldn’t have a phone! #lifewasbetterinthe80’s
Instead of a folding iPhone, I’d like a collapsible camera bump.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure who asked for this or who needs it.
ReplyDeleteJealous. Now those damn Europeans can download Pokémon Ruby version on their favorite alt App Store emulator and whip out their new iPhone SP.
ReplyDeletepeople break their current iPhone screen, imagine a folding one? Not sure who wants this but no thanks. Spend engineering on improving battery life or connectivity not these novelties.
ReplyDeleteFoldable phones are a solution in search of a problem, and Apple isn't going to release one anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteIt's already a bother to take it out of my pocket every time I have to use my phone. I'm not going to take it out and unfold it every time. If I have a foldable phone I'll just keep it unfolded all the time.
ReplyDeletehttps://forums.macrumors.com/attachments/56a9cb15ed3c62476636c99df71961af-jpg.2346771/
I had a foldable phone 20 years ago. I have no desire to have another...
ReplyDeleteId love to be able to fold the phone in half reliably. It would make phones fit much more easily in the pants pocket again.
DeleteAll you naysayers, this is one concept that if it can be made to work reliably, you will be proven drastically wrong.
Or Apple could go back to iPhone 5-size. Perfectly usable with one hand and pocketable.
DeleteNo folds needed. Affordable prices under $200.
I believe we will see both clamshell and book-style folding iPhones in 2026. Android OEMs can currently make very thin book-style folding smartphones. I'm confident Apple can figure this out as well.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe in this notion of a folding iPad Mini. People want that device, but they want it as an iPhone, not iPad.
Have you ever touched one of those crappy Android foldables?
DeleteThey're terrible. The plastic screen feels like running your finger across a vinyl shower curtain, and after about a week of use the crease is VERY noticeable. They rarely last longer than six months without looking like complete ass. I'd be amazed if Samsung isn't losing money on them, because most don't make until the end of the warranty before the screen fails.
No, you do not want a foldable iPad or iPhone.
Complete nonsense.
DeleteSpoken like someone who has never touched one of those foldables but watched a YouTube video once.
DeleteFoldable phones are one of those things were it's impossible not to like the possibilities but at the same time also impossible to gloss over the current limitations (crease, strength or thickness)
ReplyDeleteMaybe some day. Or not.
Considering how small pockets are on women's clothing, I think a lot of woman would prefer to own a folding iPhone that can actually fit into their pockets vs having an iPhone sticking halfway out of the pocket.
DeleteFor me personally, I would like to be able to have an iPhone similar to that of the Honor Magic V2. As think as an iPhone Pro Max when folded, yet can open up to something the size of the iPad mini when you want to use the device more like a tablet without having to carry a second (tablet) device with you.
Both sound like solutions to problems to me.
Absolutely no rush for this
ReplyDeleteStill can't wrap my head around why "flip"-phones are gaining mainstream popularity. They offer the same screen size and fit either about as well or worse in your pocket while ruining durability.
ReplyDeleteThe "tablet-sized" solutions à la Galaxy Fold I get since they make tablets pocketable to begin with.
Butt dialing.😓 Back in the olden days when I had a flip phone, it never, ever butt dialed anyone. My candybar style phone (Nokia 3310) butt dialed on occasions. My android phone butt dials a lot more often than the old Nokia.
DeleteIDK .. isn't the whole point of a FOLDABLE to FOLD it so I can put it FOLDED it in my pockets? Why do I need to fold a Tablet, only to store it in something bigger? Dumb
ReplyDeleteReason for me to get a foldable would be the fact that I'd use it more than half the time in "phone" mode (texting, social media etc.) and only folded out for media consumption (YouTube etc.). Basically just a convenient thing when I do want something "bigger" not something smaller.
I had Kyocera Palm OS flip phone.
ReplyDeleteMore than a few times I've been at meetings for projects with the "VIP's" and they proudly place their foldable samsung or whatever on the table, unfolding it in the process, then during the meeting their spouse or kids call and they pull out their iphone to answer it. Cracks me up every time.
ReplyDeleteWhy would they spend all that money on a personal foldable when work gave them one?
DeleteImagine folding a IPhone Pro. With that cam it will be 2 inches thick 🤣
ReplyDeleteI thought I saw a foldable iPhone prototype in the wild at a concert in NY last August...Dude kept holding it up to record and it had the iOS look to the icons and the camera app. I assumed it was just someone modifying their Android but thought slightly possible there might be some sort of sneak announcement.
ReplyDeleteNot opposed to foldables, as long as they around super thick when folded. That kind of always defeated the purpose for me.
ReplyDelete...and we're calling it iTaco.
ReplyDelete🤣🤣🤣🤣
DeleteI can't imagine Apple releasing devices with a plastic screen that can be destroyed with a fingernail. So unless they invent bendable glass, I don't think anything will come from them any time soon.
ReplyDeleteI think a way to bypass many of the limitations of a foldable is with a rollable one. It would keep the phone thickness the same, it seems like the crease is gone and you get expandable screen size. That technology seems closer to what Apple would like to accomplish with a flip phone.
ReplyDeleteWidthwise? According to the image, this would be heightwise. Widthwise would be folding it like a book.
ReplyDeleteApple if you are listening, the fold market is not worth it, at least not in its current form so don't just make another foldable phone with the current display tech.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that Android handset makers have been banging their heads against the foldables problem for 6 years now, and are nowhere close to any significant market penetration or compelling use case is very telling IMO. Compared to other FOMO fads like VR, it's looking pretty bleak. As dubious as the future of VR is for the medium term future, at least there are a few applications that are attractive to a decent sized audience and some affordable entry-level hardware that the average consumer can experiment with.
ReplyDeleteFoldables are for whom? to do what with? and for how much? And they're worse in some important ways?
Meh. I'm not at all interested in a foldable iPhone.
ReplyDeleteIf Apple puts a fully functional screen on the outside of the Phone when folded, it will be a solution to a problem for me.
ReplyDeleteSo stupid
ReplyDeleteI know everyone is subject to their own opinion. But I think foldable phones are a joke. If I wanted a flip phone, then I would just go back in time. I like the iPhones just the way they are. But, that’s just me. 🤷♂️
ReplyDeleteIt would be interesting to see how they keep MagSafe in the phone if it folds in the middle.
ReplyDeleteThis was confirmed in the recent Vanity Fair article that profiled Tim Cook and the Vision Pro. This is news... again?
ReplyDeleteThin vs fat in one’s pocket or other carry item. If the screen were to be double or greater than current iPhones when unfolded, fat maybe a good option. As noted, not a choice now.
ReplyDeleteLOL. I hope the folding phone is just an iPhone 4 cut in half like in the picture. That would be bad*ss.
ReplyDeleteGood Apple, continue to work on it until it gets a really good Mini replacement 👍🏼
ReplyDeleteMy Mini is however great, and will be so awhile. Then I can change battery and it will be great another few years. So I am in no hurry whatsoever.
Love my Mini.
When Apple can offer a really good flip/fold to replace the Mini I’ll be interested.
Let me see if I can be clear. I still don't care and would never buy a folding phone ever no matter what. Who thinks this crap up? Is there any filter on their brain at all?
ReplyDeleteGreat, more moving parts to wear out and break. No thank you.
ReplyDeleteWe've steadily been reducing mechanical complexity in cellphones for years now and it's been wonderful.
I'm down for it. It makes a big phone a little smaller length wise. And that satisfaction of just closing your phone when you are done with it.... ahhhh.
ReplyDeleteSorry we wasted all our resources on the Scuba Mask everyone is returning in droves...
ReplyDeleteIn the mean time, here's another tiny spec bump to the cameras ...oh and another button if you want to pony up and be a "Pro"
"Innovation" season continues
Just sell me a 8” foldable iPhone, what’s the point of a foldable iPad if they don’t expect me to have it in my pocket. If I have to bring a backpack for my iPad it doesn’t matter if it folds or not since I have a backpack to store it in…
ReplyDeleteJust got my M3 14” MBP but it was as boring as I expected it to be, nothing have really changed from the M1 variant I sold last year so I might just return it. The Galaxy Fold really is calling to me with something that isn’t old tech like I’ve gotten used to with Apple in the past years, at this point I’m fed up enough with boring Apple that I might even be able to convert to Android.
I have zero interest in a foldable phone. I really don't want a compromised screen with a joint/seam/wrinkle/fold/etc. I understand the curiosity appeal of the concept, but I appreciate the full fidelity, non-interrupted, smooth display I look at and interact with every waking hour of every day.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9Jr6viGaWw
ReplyDeleteOr Apple should acknowledge elephant in the room and release smaller iPhone 5-sized iPhones.
No notch or camera bumps. Light and portable, without hinges. No fat pocket bricks.
Apple couldn't sell enough iPhone Minis to justify their existence, no way they are going even smaller.
DeleteAll this effort, just make a new mini!
ReplyDeleteAnd with headphone jack.
DeleteI don't know how anyone can say they absolutely don't want a foldable device (iPad or iPhone or both) from Apple
ReplyDeleteAs with the AVP being an iteration on an existing concept, I think we'd have to see what an actual Apple foldable would be like -- what benefits or tradeoffs it might have (which would be likely different than existing options) -- and then decide.
Ruling it out in advance is jumping the gun a little I think
I am glad to hear Apple is still working on foldable phone and looking forward to have it materialized. Keep calm, be hopeful on foldable iPhone and be happy on possibility of foldable iPhone😊 Life is too short to be unhappy 😊
ReplyDelete