For years, Apple has been known as a company that takes its time embracing new technologies. Rather than rushing to be the first with a new technology, the company waits until it can introduce something that is polished, refined and unmistakably “Apple.” Now, if a steady stream of leaks and insider reports are to be believed, the next major step could be the long-rumored iPhone Fold — a high-end foldable device due to land next year.
And it isn’t just another foldable. The biggest rumour swirling is Apple’s much-rumoured breakthrough – a foldable screen that doesn’t have a crease, something also persistent gripe about foldable phones today.
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Dedicated production line by Foxconn is big progress
The latest machine-translated report from Taiwan’s Economic Daily claims that Foxconn — Apple’s largest iPhone manufacturing partner — has even established a special production line for foldable iPhones. The move indicates that the device has moved past it being an experiment and is now in pre–mass production, one of the strongest signals yet that Apple is committed to this form factor.
The move is the clearest indication yet that the iPhone Fold might be more than a concept floating around Apple’s labs.
No crease design: Apple’s number one advantage?
No less than Samsung, Motorola, and Oppo have made giant steps in their foldable phones over the years — but — the crease on the middle of the screen was still something near unavoidable. Apple though, is believed to have cracked the code with a lamination and hinge design that reduces or eliminates the crease altogether.
From what we’ve heard, Samsung will be making the inner display, but Apple itself is handling the hinge and panel architecture design as well as developing its own bonding process. It will use liquid metal materials for durability, we’re told, so the hinge is robust yet smooth and premium to the touch.
If Apple is able to do so successfully, a crease-free design alone could be revolutionary.
Here’s what the iPhone Fold could look like
Leaks have been pretty consistent about what the design will look like:
- 7.8-inch internal display when unfolded
- For everyday use – 5.5-inch outer screen
- When Folded-About 9 to 9.5 Mm.
- Four cameras: 2×48MP on the back +1 inside + 1 outside
- Touch ID could be used in stead of Face ID for dual modules
That hints at a book-style foldable, something like Samsung’s Z Fold lineup but with Apple-style simplicity and engineering finesse.
It’s also an interesting decision to use Touch ID. It may be Apple addressing how to avoid having to use massive sensors in a foldable form factor and therefore keep the overall device svelte.
A premium phone at an ultra-premium priceUGINS/GETTY ‘Ultra-premium’ ABSTRACT Being a flagship Samsung phone means two things: its price is going to be hefty and it’ll come in more than one model.
Previously, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman had also indicated that the folding iPhone might be priced at “well over $2,000.” Newer leaks now point to a more refined price between $2,400 and $2,500, which would make it not only the most expensive iPhone Apple has ever made.
This price range would put it well above the current crop of foldables from Samsung, Vivo, Oppo or Motorola and they are already priced on the higher side. But Apple has always leaned into the luxury tech space, and the Fold appears to be squarely targeted at c onsumers willing to pay a premium for cutting-edge technology.
Why this launch matters?
A foldable iPhone isn’t just another yearly, iterative upgrade. If so, it would be a change in Apple’s strategic direction and could influence the entire smartphone industry. Foldables have been making slow inroads, but they are not taking over. For Apple entering this market could lead to mainstream acceptance, similar to what happened with tablets post-iPad.
Amidst the rumors and dedicated production lines spinning up and engineering breakthroughs being whispered, you’re closer than ever to getting an iPhone Fold in your hot little hands.
If 2025 is when Apple finally embraces the foldable, it could change our perception of what the future holds for smartphones — in much the same way that was altered by Apple’s original iPhone.
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