When it comes to foldable phones, the iPhone Flip is a likely candidate to be the first from Apple. Here’s what we currently know about the subject.
Because we still have a long way to go until we see the iPhone Flip, everything we believe we know about it is subject to change. You never know how much of the speculation will alter before then. Apple, on the other hand, has a vested interest in foldable technology and will not allow Samsung to monopolise the market.
The market for foldable smartphones continues to expand. Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Flip 3 Bespoke Editions were released simultaneously by Samsung, allowing customers to customise their foldables with a variety of colour options. For those who want two screens, Microsoft has released the Surface Duo 2. Clearly, the best foldable phone is in the works.
So, when are we going to see Apple in this race? New items are usually not released until the firm is confident that it can outperform the competition. However, the iPhone wasn’t the first smartphone, but it did a fantastic job of beating out the competition.’ Patents and concept drawings from independent designers show that the iPhone Flip/Fold might be a big hit for Apple.
This iPhone Flip guide compiles the most recent information and theories. When the next iPhone is out, we’ll have a better idea of what it’ll be like, but until then, we can only speculate.
Rumors about the release date of the iPhone Flip
The iPhone Flip’s release date is still up in the air, but recent reports point to a 2023 or 2024 debut.
According to display researcher Ross Young, Apple might release a foldable iPhone next year based on his track record. In addition, he said that the year 2024 is most likely to see the introduction of such a gadget.
Foldable iPhones may not be available until 2025 according to fresh research from Ming-Chi Kuo.
Apple iPhone XS Max Screen Size
According to Ming-Chi Kuo, the first foldable iPhone would have an 8-inch display. This would be bigger than the 7.6-inch display offered by the Galaxy Z Fold 3 when opened. The iPad mini’s 8.3-inch screen is nearly as big as an 8-inch display.
Apple may be collaborating with LG on a 7.5-inch OLED foldable display panel, according to another rumour.
According to yet another claim from Kuo, Apple is now developing a 9-inch foldable display. That would be the most impressive folding phone currently on the market.
An iPhone flip’s design has yet to be shown.
For the iPhone Flip, Apple has tried two designs: a fold-out hybrid tablet like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold, and a clamshell flip phone like the Galaxy Z Flip series. Although it is still early in the development process, it is possible that things might alter, those same sources believe that Apple will continue with its clamshell design.
A look at Apple’s patent papers also reveals some of the possibilities for its foldable, including any future devices that may not use the clamshell form.
The “joint operating mode” described in a new Apple patent in 2020 would allow a single-screen gadget to be complemented by a magnetically-connected secondary display. It’s possible that this mode would allow separate devices to come together to form a single shared environment, although this doesn’t directly relate to the folding panel concept. Microsoft Surface Duo 2 is more like Samsung Galaxy Fold.
It was discovered by PatentlyApple that a smartphone with a foldable display was initially submitted in the second quarter of 2018 but left an exposed strip at the bottom for quick access to notifications and contextual information. Think of it as a miniaturised version of the Touch Bar seen on the new MacBook Pro.
As far back as 2020, we can see Apple’s thoughts on foldable designs, including a patent for a three-fold display. Furthermore, if we go all the way back to 2016, we can find an early foldable iPhone patent from MacRumors, which shows a vertically folding phone similar to the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Motorola Razr.
As a result, concept drawings portraying various iPhone Flip/Fold appearances are being shared by designers. An excellent example of this is this 3D model, which was shared by a YouTube channel called #iOS beta news, and which has many of the same features as the Galaxy Z Flip but with a more simple design and a vertical orientation. It’s a design that we could see Apple using, at least with a little more fine-tuning.
In addition to a folding screen and a lower notch, LetsGoDigital’s iPhone Flip concept design also has an external cover display.
This concept video from ConceptsiPhone shows an iPhone Flip that looks a lot like the Galaxy Z Flip 3 on the iPhone side. Unlike the iPhone 12, it has a smaller notch, a 120Hz display, and an in-screen fingerprint sensor. There’s also an M1 chip, which may sound crazy, but considering Apple’s usage of M1 silicon in the iPad Pro and Air, it’s possible that high-end phones will one day include M1 chips instead of the standard A-series.
While the Galaxy Z Flip features an exterior notification screen, Antonio De Rosa’s concept for a foldable iPhone retains some of the more distinguishing characteristics of the iPhone design. Flat corners, an iPhone 13 Pro-like camera array, and—in a nod to Apple’s reported iPhone 14 plans—no notch are among the features included.
Cupertino won’t be able to do it alone when the first foldable iPhone is ready to launch. We’ve heard conflicting stories for the past three years that Apple has been in negotiations with LG and Samsung to supply flexible panels for whichever gadget it ends up introducing in the end. According to Korean media, Samsung Display provided Apple panel prototypes for testing in March 2019.
Couldn’t it have used a dual-panel method like Microsoft’s Surface Duo for its first folding smartphone? Perhaps Cupertino has already developed a prototype of this design, according to Jon Prosser of Front Page Tech. However, a hinge has been incorporated into this gadget, which means that when it is held out in front of you, the two screens join together without any issues, according to Prosser.
When it comes to protecting your phone, you can’t go wrong with the iPhone
In October 2020, we noticed a patent for an enhanced version of the iPhone 12’s ceramic cover for the iPhone Flip. It would have four layers: a cover layer, a hardcoat layer, an inner surface, and a transparent support layer, and it would be particularly tailored for flexible displays. For further sturdiness, the support layer might potentially be composed of sapphire or glass.
The possibility of a “self-healing substance,” which would lessen the appearance of scratches or dents, has also been floated.
Prosser’s story reminds us that Apple’s first foldable phone may play out in a variety of ways. There is, of course, no assurance that Apple would ship such a gadget. If Apple isn’t enamoured with the dependability, durability, or pricing of a gadget with a single, foldable screen, dual-screen technology might finally win out.
As recently as February of 2020, an Apple patent surfaced that outlined a method for folding a touchscreen panel without damaging the panel. It would be more of a gentle curve rather than a firm crease inside the hinge. It’s hoped that this design would help the display last longer by making it more durable. However, it’s worth pointing out that the Galaxy Z Flip has a similar design.
This is not the first time Apple has sought to improve the iPhone Flip’s durability by using a crack-resistant display.
How much would it cost to buy an iPhone Flip?
How much does a foldable iPhone cost? It’s the most difficult question to answer because the price has never been a part of the few foldable iPhone rumours (another sign that the iPhone Flip will ship later rather than sooner) and because the device’s cost will largely depend on how Apple approaches the design.
Look at how much it cost to get your hands on the Galaxy Fold when it debuted at $1,980 with an unfurled 7-inch tablet-like display that was just 4 inches wide on the exterior. With a 6.7-inch screen and an Ultra-Thin Glass coating, the Galaxy Z Flip costs $600 less than the original Galaxy S7 Edge. The Z Fold 3 launched at $1,799 and the Z Flip 3 at $999, maintaining the same pricing disparity as the most current Galaxy foldables.
It is possible that the pricing of a smaller and less expensive foldable might be comparable to the $1,099 iPhone 13 Pro Max. But if the folding phone is meant to be a phone that can be used as a tablet, like the Galaxy Z Fold 3, it’s probable that the price will be more than Apple’s more traditional handsets.
Flipping an iPhone: the battle for supremacy
If the iPhone Flip isn’t released until 2023, Apple will be giving its competitors a head start on the foldable phone market.. According to reports, Samsung’s third generation of the Galaxy Z Fold and the Galaxy Z Flip have sold well, and pricing is likely a factor; the first foldable phone to be marketed for less than $1,000 is the Galaxy Z Flip 3.
Even if no other Android phone makers come out with products, the iPhone Flip would face established competition by the time it launched—and that’s assuming Motorola continues to develop the Motorola Razr as a foldable.
Another contender appears to be pulling out of the contest to create the finest foldable. One of Google’s Pixel Fold projects was said to be significantly ahead of Apple’s own plans for the device. In spite of initial claims that Google was abandoning the Pixel Fold, more recent sources indicate that the device will be released in late 2022. We’ll have to wait and see whether anyone else can make a folding phone work.
Apple has never been the first to market with any of its iconic products; instead, it has launched iPods, iPhones, and iPads only after determining that they improved upon previous models. With the iPhone Flip, you may expect the firm to follow suit.
The iPhone Flip is a great way to see what’s
One thing is for certain about Apple’s foldable iPhone plans: Whatever technique the company chooses for its first foldable phone will undoubtedly shape the future of mobile technology.
Samsung’s Galaxy Fold may have been the first foldable phone on the market, but the firm is still experimenting with other form factors to see what customers actually want.
It’s no secret that every time an iPhone is released, it sets trends in the mobile industry. The eradication of bezels, the inclusion of a notch, and other changes all began with an iPhone. As a result, 2020’s iPhone 12 was likely the first time most people were exposed to 5G technology.
The future of foldable technology and the smartphone industry as a whole rests heavily on Apple’s ability to realise its vision of a foldable iPhone.