Apple moves closer to a foldable iPhone thanks to a new patent.
According to PhoneArena, Apple has long been considered a slow brand in the foldable phone race, but recently, the tech giant has just been granted a new patent that could change the game. This patent describes a more durable foldable screen design, addressing Apple's biggest concern about the durability of this type of screen.
Apple granted patent for folding screen.
According to the patent, Apple proposes a solution to make the protective glass screen thinner in the bendable areas, while also thicker at the corners and edges to increase impact resistance. This is considered an important step in realizing the foldable iPhone screen.
Previously, there were rumors that Apple had paused the development of a foldable iPhone due to durability issues with the screens provided by Samsung. However, this new patent shows that Apple has not given up on its ambitions.
Some sources say that the foldable iPhone could launch in 2026, with a book-style folding design and an 8-inch inner screen. However, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that Apple will launch a 20-inch foldable MacBook in 2026, equipped with a powerful M5 chip.
Although there is no official information from Apple, this new patent along with recent rumors have raised hope for a not-too-distant future when users can experience a foldable iPhone.
The foldable phone market is very exciting. Will Apple enter this market and make a breakthrough with the “foldable iPhone”?
Apple’s iPhone 15 models brought big changes when they launched last September, with USB-C charging and other improvements to the camera. But Apple has been slow to release a “foldable iPhone.” Meanwhile, many other phone makers, including Samsung, Google, Motorola, and OnePlus, have been selling foldable phones for years.
Apple is "slow" in the foldable screen smartphone segment
Apple is dominating the premium phone segment. However, foldable phone makers are also following closely behind and are becoming competitive with the “Apple House” in this segment. According to Motorola, 20% of users of its foldable smartphone Motorola Razr have switched from iPhone.
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Concept photo of foldable iPhone screen.
Concept photo of foldable iPhone screen.
Currently, Samsung has launched 5 generations of foldable smartphones with the Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold models, the Galaxy Z 6 series will be launched this fall. Along with that, Google and Oneplus have joined this market since last year.
This puts Apple at risk of losing potential customers and being easily “overtaken” by other competitors such as Samsung. Furthermore, “The Bitten Apple” is also likely to lose its advantage by delaying the launch of the “foldable iPhone”. Foldable phone users may be too familiar with the Android operating system. By the time Apple's foldable iPhone models are released, they will not want to switch to iOS.
Does a foldable iPhone have a place?
In fact, Apple doesn't need to worry too much. According to statistics, foldable phone sales reached have 20 million units globally by 2023. At the same time, Apple sold 26.5 million iPhone 14 Pro Max units in the first half of the year alone.
Apple always knows how to observe the market and choose the right time to launch its products. “Apple” is not the first brand to produce smartphones, tablets, smartwatches or laptops. However, this brand has found a way to improve and add value to those technology products, making them more useful and attractive. This is also the reason why Apple product lines such as iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac dominate the technology market today.
Not only are users looking forward to Apple launching a “foldable iPhone”, but they are also looking forward to improvements in its design. Foldable phones on the market today are disappointing many users as they are just smaller variants of regular rectangular smartphones.
Google's foldable phone.
Yet, while foldable phones are a huge step forward in technology, they haven't really changed the user experience much. For example, when touchscreens were introduced, users didn't need to use physical buttons to enter text. However, foldable screens have improved the quality of the display, but they haven't changed the way users interact with the screen.
People were hoping that Google's Pixel Fold would be a step forward for foldable phones. But in the end, it failed to deliver any real breakthroughs. People will have to wait for Apple, a company known for its success in product innovation, to find improvements for foldable phones.
