In addition to the iPhone Fold that is getting a lot of attention, Apple is said to be working on a second foldable iPhone option.
The smartphone market is heating up with the launch of several foldable smartphones, including Samsung’s Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Z Flip. While other major players in the phone market have launched their foldable phones, Apple has yet to officially join the game.
There have been a lot of rumors about the iPhone Fold, suggesting that it could be an iPhone that folds open like a book to create a large screen. But there's another option, too.
Instead of a book-style iPhone, there's been some talk of a smaller iPhone called the iPhone Flip. This would look like a standard iPhone when opened, but it could fold in half, making it more compact.
iPhone Flip Prototype
While there have been plenty of rumors about the iPhone Fold, it seems that this isn't the only foldable smartphone Apple is working on. In fact, rumors suggest that there are more.
In February, a report claimed that Apple had contacted at least one manufacturer about components for two foldable iPhones of different sizes. Since the larger-screened iPhone Fold would be a separate, larger prototype, it’s reasonable to assume that the second would be a smaller model. So logically, this smaller version would be the iPhone Flip.
It’s almost certain that Apple has been working on some sort of foldable device prototype for quite some time now, and the numerous patents on the subject are a sign that Apple has been seriously considering the concept.
A report in July claimed that Apple was working on another foldable iPhone that wasn't the iPhone Fold. Codenamed "v68," the model is said to have a basic iPhone-like design with a tall, narrow display.
The Flip is described as being able to fold from the top down, similar in functionality to the Samsung Galaxy Flip. This could give the iPhone Flip similar capabilities to the Galaxy Flip, such as being able to partially open in an L-shape so that half of the screen can be upright and not need a kickstand to balance the device.
This is essentially a foldable iPhone so its specs will be almost identical to current models.
It’s unclear whether the iPhone Flip will have an external display like the Fold, but it’s possible that it will be a thinner device. Since folding in half can double the thickness when closed, Apple may try to thin the chassis to overcome this issue.
Deciding how thin the case should be is entirely up to Apple. The iPhone Slim is expected to be a much thinner iPhone, potentially as thin as the 0.20-inch iPad Pro , as Apple wants to offer the thinnest devices on the market.
iPhone Flip could launch in 2026 or 2027
As for when the iPhone Flip will actually launch, it will certainly take some time before Apple officially introduces this product.
In June, a report claimed that Apple would launch foldable devices as early as 2027. This followed a rumor from March that said a potential Q4 2026 release had been pushed back to early 2027.
By July, reports floated the idea of launching a foldable iPhone in 2026.
A company with the resources Apple has could very well launch a foldable smartphone by 2026. Two years is a comfortable amount of time for Apple to develop and produce a new standard iPhone.
While there are design considerations that make development more difficult, this is still a reasonable time frame to come up with a new format for the device.
iPhone Flip screen technology
In order for the display to fold, Apple had to create a display that could withstand the force of repeatedly folding into the same part of the device.
The company has been working with supply chain partners since April 2022 to create a flexible display for an iPad or MacBook, and by May, the company had also integrated an iPhone display.
In September 2022, it was reported that Apple was working with LG Display and Samsung Display to create a crease-free display. This involved developing a hybrid OLED panel that combines non-bendable glass with a flexible plastic substrate.
The idea that Apple would work with its display partners on this project makes sense, given Apple’s close relationships with its supply chain partners. It also makes sense, since plastic can bend while glass cannot.
Apple has also considered various ways to bend the display without a crease in the patents. Complex hinge mechanisms to support the display at its most vulnerable point have been proposed, along with stretchable displays and other ideas.
No matter what solution Apple comes up with for the foldable display, there are certainly still many different problems and many other possible solutions.
iPhone Flip Specifications
One area that hasn’t really been mentioned in the rumors is the potential specs of the iPhone Flip. There’s an easy explanation for that: It’s still early days, and the display is the only real focus area for the device.
Occam's Razor suggests that Apple will use the same specs as any iPhone Pro model available at the time of release for the iPhone Flip. As a new flagship device, you'd expect the best specs to be in a device that's likely to be very expensive.
Those specs will depend entirely on what Apple plans to do with its main iPhone lineup in 2026 or 2027. Two years is a long time in the tech world, so you can expect a lot to change.
The big question mark is the rear cameras, as they are the component that needs a lot of depth. It has been suggested that the iPhone Slim may only have a single rear camera due to its thickness, and it is entirely possible that Apple could do the same with the iPhone Flip if it wanted to create an iPhone that was both thin and foldable.
That said, there’s nothing stopping Apple from increasing the thickness a bit and keeping the same triple-camera setup on the back as the Pro models. A foldable iPhone would be thicker than a standard body, so adding a few millimeters of thickness probably wouldn’t be too much of a stretch for such a groundbreaking device.
