A foldable device prototype is reportedly being developed by Apple. According to The Information, Apple has made prototypes of at least two foldable iPhones and contacted at least one manufacturer about parts for different-sized foldable phones.
According to the person, the phones are still in the early development stage and there is no guarantee they will ever be available to consumers.
Former Apple employees told The Information that the company has also been considering a foldable iPad and has been working with LG and Samsung on displays for foldable iPad prototypes.
For years, Apple has been researching foldable devices.
Earlier this year, the company received a patent on a foldable phone. In 2020, Apple filed a patent for a foldable electronic device that, when folded, would leave a small portion of the display still exposed so users could still receive notifications even when the phone was closed. Last year, Apple submitted a patent application for a foldable iPhone that would shut itself if dropped in order to protect the screen.
According to supply-chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple will launch its first foldable device in 2025 at the earliest. It could be “a foldable iPad or a hybrid of an iPad and iPhone.”
According to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman last year, foldable iPhones are unlikely in the near future, as Apple is more focused on larger foldable devices.
The recent resurgence of foldable phones has seen competitors like Google, Samsung, and Motorola release their own versions.
In a statement to CNET last year, Samsung’s mobile experience division head, TM Roh, said that sales of Samsung’s foldable phones were on par with those of Samsung’s also-foldable Galaxy Note. According to Korean media outlet The Elec, the company plans to sell 20 million foldable smartphones this year.
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