According to reports Apple is now fully exploring foldable displays in phones and is prototyping iPhones with the technology. It is understood that a final device that will be ready for consumers is still several years away, and Apple is only working on the display technology for now, not the device it will be attached to.
Read: Everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Bloomberg says that Apple is looking at making foldable screens with a “mostly invisible hinge” that could unfold to around the size of the iPhone 12 Pro Max. The display itself is similar to foldable screens that we’ve seen in Samsung and Motorola devices. There are reportedly several different screen sizes in development, and we aren’t sure about the form factor they are looking to use.
There hasn’t been any public acknowledgement from Apple with regards to interest in foldable devices, but the company likes to drop a new project category without any prior warning. As has been the case over the last decade, Apple prefers to have its competitors drive innovation and test out new form factors to see what sticks. The Cupertino company will then try to master the new trend before releasing a product that uses it.
Samsung have been releasing foldable devices since April 2019, with others like Motorola also launching devices to mixed reviews.
The report also highlights some information regarding the 2021 iPhone models. Apple’s tick-tock approach to phone designs will resume, meaning that the coming iPhone 13 (or perhaps iPhones 12S) will have “minor updates.” One major feature that we will supposedly make its way to the new iPhones is an in-display fingerprint sensor. Some expected it to launch on the iPhone 12 as wearing of masks seriously impedes the effectiveness of Face ID.
Apple is also working on a new type of display for the coming iPhones. It may reportedly run Mini LED panels, which is a technology pioneered by Samsung and LG with their new ranges of TV’s.
