Apple to escape main drawback of foldable smartphones in upcoming iPhone
Apple plans to release a foldable iPhone with a seamless screen (photo: Getty Images)
Apple is making significant progress in the development of a foldable iPhone. A new report says that the company has achieved an important breakthrough by effectively eliminating the screen crease, which is a problem with existing foldable devices.
What is known
According to ETNews, Apple is finalizing the selection of suppliers for the foldable iPhone. This process is expected to be completed by April. This means that Apple is close to starting production, and mass production of components is likely to start in the second half of the year.
"Apple has decided to eliminate the crease at all costs, regardless of the cost, to make its foldable phone stand out from the existing models. It is believed that a new material property has been developed to make the crease disappear," the insider said.
The screen crease is one of the biggest problems with foldable technology. Devices from Samsung, Huawei, and other manufacturers have tried unsuccessfully to make it invisible. Apple's obvious decision could give the company a significant competitive advantage.
Samsung Display is reported to be the exclusive supplier of OLED panels for Apple's foldable device. The Korean company has been developing a display specifically for Apple since last year, using its experience as the first manufacturer to launch mass production of foldable OLED screens.
The foldable iPhone is expected to have a design with a screen that folds like a book, with the American company Corning likely providing the ultra-thin glass (UTG) covering the display.
At the same time, the American company Amphenol, which previously supplied hinges for MacBook Pro models, is a leader in supplying the most important hinge mechanism.
What a foldable iPhone might look like (illustrative photo: MacRumors)
When will Apple release a foldable iPhone
According to Apple's typical product development schedule, ETNews reports that a foldable iPhone should be released in the second half of 2026. Over the weekend, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple is "focused on finalizing its first foldable device for 2026."
Previous reports by analysts such as Ming-Chi Kuo and Jeff Pu, as well as publications such as The Information and The Wall Street Journal, have pointed to the device's release in late 2026 or early 2027.
A recent rumor from Chinese insider Digital Chat Station suggests that the device may have a 5.49-inch outer display and a 7.74-inch inner screen when expanded, and both screens will allegedly have "unprecedented aspect ratios." The outer display is reportedly shorter and wider than Oppo's new Find N5, which was unveiled last week.
As a reminder, Apple has revealed the details and release date of the foldable iPad.
We also wrote that Apple is postponing the release of a foldable MacBook.
