Over the past few years, Apple fans have wondered when they will get a version of the phone like the Z fold or the flip.

There are contents.

  • Design and display
  • Cameras and other specs
  • Flip software
  • Release date

It has been rumored for years that Apple is working on a foldable phone. Despite the amount of scuttlebutt we hear about Apple's research and development on this mythical device, it always seems to be at the same time.

Apple iPhone Flip prototype.
Multi Tech Media

There is only one thing that seems clear, and that is that Apple is working on a foldable iPhone. It is difficult to say what an "iphone flip" may look like or when we will see one. Here is what we know about the purported flip phone.

The design of Apple's first foldable phone is unknown. That doesn't mean Apple has to follow suit with the two most obvious styles, but that doesn't mean they can't. It's anyone's guess as to what direction the company will go in with the dozens of patents that hint at designs for a foldable iPhone They can't all be correct.

It's known that Apple is working on foldable prototypes. Numerous reports show that Apple has been testing foldable screens and hinges for at least the last year.

Apple iPhone Flip prototype.
Concepts iPhone

Several companies, including Apple, were said to be in the process of getting mass-produced foldable displays from the Korean company. Sources claimed in late 2017 that Apple and LG were working together to develop a foldable display for a future iPhone.

The display maker would provide a large number of foldable display samples over a year to be used for testing foldable iPhone prototypes according to a report. Apple was testing a display and a hinge that could hold up to 100,000 folds, according to reports.

It's worth noting that most laptop hinges are between 30,000 and 50,000 folds. The Z fold can survive 200,000 folds. We don't know if Apple has raised its standard to match that of the South Korean company.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 sitting on a bench.
Joe Maring/Digital Trends

A few different designs are being tested by Apple. Jon Prosser claimed to have seen a prototype device that used a two-screen design like Microsoft's Surface Neo and Surface Duo.

Prosser said his sources had told him that by the following year, Apple would be putting all of its efforts into a foldable phone. Prosser claimed that the new iPhone would come in more cheerful colors to target more mainstream customers.

According to an analyst, Apple's first foldable might not even be an iPhone. The new class of devices with a 7.5 to 8-inch display would blur the line between the iPad and the iPhone. Prosser claimed to have seen some examples of this device.

Foldable iPhone prototype.
Patently Apple

Prosser has a less reliable track record when it comes to Apple products since he relies mostly on sources who claim to have inside information on what is going on inside Apple. As he looks at trends within Apple's supply chain and the type of components in demand, he usually comes from the other direction.

A more serious business-class "iPhone Fold" or "iPad Fold" may be one of the two devices Apple may have in the near future.

Cameras and other specs

Mark Gurman may throw cold water on leakers who say they have seen folding iPhone prototypes. According to Gurman, Apple doesn't have full handsets prototypes in its labs, and the company hasn't moved beyond the display for a foldable iPhone.

We haven't heard a lot since that report, but there have been occasional confirmations that Apple is still experimenting with multiple designs.

We don't know what we'll see regarding cameras, processors, and other features. It is likely that Apple has yet to make these decisions. There is a lot of speculation but it should be taken with skepticism.

Flip software

Most of the leaks and reports have focused on the hardware and design of the folding iPhone, but Apple is also working on the software side of things. It won't be easy to translate a foldable design from iPadOS to the other way around. The software interface is as important to the foldable experience as the hardware design is.

Multiple apps running at once on the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Apple is already thinking about a foldable version of its mobile operating system. There is a chance that we will see a new version of the mobile operating system on the flip.

Release date

Multiple sources have said that Apple isn't completely sold on the idea of a foldable phone. We may never see a foldable iPhone at all.

Gurman made it clear that Apple hadn't "solidified plans to actually launch a foldable iPhone." Apple still had concerns over the viability of foldable display technology and whether there was a sufficient market for foldable phones, according to a message from leaker Dylandkt.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 standing upside down on a table.
Joe Maring/Digital Trends

Even though Apple is still working on different ideas, some within the company feel that the display technology isn't mature.

Sources say that Apple is waiting to see how the technology progresses. It wants to make sure there is a long-term market for foldable phones and that this isn't just a fad that will diminish over time.

Last year, Apple's first foldable iPhone would be targeted at mainstream consumers, and shipments could reach up to 20 million units in the first year, according to a prediction made by the analyst. It is expected that Apple will use the most advanced display technology possible to give it a long-term competitive advantage and that it will be the biggest winner in the foldable device trend.

According to display analyst Ross Young, who has a good track record when it comes to screen technology, sources in the supply chain have told him that a foldable iPhone won't be available before 2025. The foldable/rollable display shipment and technology report stated that the company does not appear to be in a hurry to enter the foldable phone market. It was confirmed a few months later.

I expected Apple to launch a foldable iPhone as soon as 2024 in my reports last year, but now it's clear this prediction needs to be revised. I predict Apple may launch its first foldable product in 2025 at the earliest, which may be a foldable iPad or a hybrid of iPad & iPhone. https://t.co/HGIDPFvdar

— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) April 1, 2022

There has been a long history of predictions and rumors about the future. Three years ago, analysts and leakers predicted a foldable iPhone would arrive by 2021, which would be followed by two more years. We don't think this prediction will be any more reliable than the other ones.

Apple still sells hundreds of millions of new iPhones every year, despite the fact that people haven't begun abandoning the device in droves. If you want a foldable phone in the near future, it looks like you'll have to wait until that happens.

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