Apple appears to be moving along in its development of a foldable iPhone, according to new rumours. The company has apparently asked its Foxconn, its biggest iPhone supplier, to create two prototype foldable shells with displays.
[referenced id=”1442512″ url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2020/09/apple-might-finally-be-working-on-that-foldable-iphone/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/12/znicjvezeu7q1psns2nk-300×169.jpg” title=”Apple Might Finally Be Working on That Foldable iPhone” excerpt=”When Samsung released the original Galaxy Fold last year other companies were fast to follow suit. Some phone makers like Motorola followed up quickly with its rebooted Razr, others, like Microsoft, took a little longer to show off its folding Duo phone. Now it seems Apple might be tinkering with…”]
As reported by Tom’s Guide on Sunday, which cites Taiwanese website United Daily News, Apple’s two prototypes reflect two very different approaches to foldable phones in the industry. Tom’s Guide states that one of the designs is similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, which let us remember has a flexible screen with a crease in the middle and can be folded. The other is closer to Microsoft’s Surface Duo, the outlet notes, a device with two screens that resembles a book and is held together by a hinge.
It’s not clear whether Apple is working on two separate foldable phones or whether it’s testing various ideas for the final new type of iPhone, per Tom’s Guide.
Add that to a recent patent application published on Thursday by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office — which was filed in April of last year — and you can’t help but be extraordinary curious at what Apple’s up to in this area. The application, titled “Folding Electronic Devices With Geared Hinges,” describes a device that can be folded inwards and outwards.
“An electronic device has a foldable display. First and second portions of an electronic device housing for the device may be joined using a hinge. A flexible display may overlap the first housing portion and the second housing portion and may bend along a bend axis as the first and second housing portions are rotated relative to each other using the hinge,” the abstract reads.
This isn’t Apple’s first patent application that seems related to foldable phones, though, and probably won’t be the last. It’s also filed a patent application for a self-healing display as well as one that allows two screens to work seamlessly as one when they’re close to each other.
[referenced id=”1223466″ url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2020/06/yes-apple-will-eventually-make-a-foldable-phone-but-dear-god-no-it-will-not-be-this-one/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/16/skj5y7sod353jjrgkgdu-300×169.jpg” title=”Yes, Apple Will Eventually Make a Foldable Phone, But Dear God, No, It Will Not Be This One” excerpt=”Apple has long been rumoured to be working on a flexible smartphone that would rival some of the experimental devices we’ve seen from Motorola ” though presumably more refined, one would hope. But today in Apple rumours that make you go “…what the fuck?” the foldable iPhone might have two…”]
Just because the company has filed patents and because the rumour mill is buzzing doesn’t mean that any of the ideas or designs are a done deal. Some might never get made. Although we believe that Apple will eventually make a foldable phone, it could end up being way different than anything we’ve speculated about when it finally does get here. Yet, it never hurts to imagine the possibilities.