Apple is said to have asked Foxconn for help testing the hinge in a foldable model of iPhone that may launch in 2022.
Foldable devices are one of the biggest trends today, despite the notable problems with Samsung’s Galaxy Fold mobile phone (reviewed here by our collegues at TechAdvisor).
For some time it has been rumoured that Apple wants to jump on the foldable phones bandwagon and the latest rumour, from the Economic Daily News, indicates that ‘supply chain sources” claim Apple has asked Foxconn to test the hinge in a foldable prototype of an iPhone.
Don’t expect to see this new foldable iPhone in 2021 though – the rumours suggest we won’t see it until September 2022. (In fact, Jon Prosser thinks we won’t see a foldable iPhone in 2022 either).
There is evidence that Apple is at least considering making a foldable iPhone. There are countless patent applications from Apple relating to a foldable model of iPhone.
It’s not only the iPhone that could go foldable – several analysts predict that we will see a foldable 12in iPad with 5G support before a foldable iPhone arrives.
In September 2020 Apple was said to have ordered a ‘large number’ of foldable iPhone screens, and back in June 2020 there were further patents suggesting a foldable iPhone was in prototype stage.
Via Macrumors.
We’ve rounded up the rumours about the Foldable iPhone. There are other rumours about the iPhone 14, such as Ming-Chi Kuo’s claim that the 2022 iPhone will have a 10x optical zoom.
Update January 2021: Apple is said to have tested two prototype foldable iPhones.
This article originally appeared on Macworld Sweden. Translation by Karen Haslam.
Author: Karen Haslam, Editor
Macworld editor since 2008, Karen has worked on both sides of the Apple divide, clocking up a number of years at Apple's PR agency prior to joining Macworld two decades ago.
Karen's career highlights include interviewing Apple's Steve Wozniak and discussing Steve Jobs’ legacy on the BBC. Her focus is Mac, but she lives and breathes Apple.