According to 9to5Mac, Apple is persisting with the folding iPhone design. The company has been working on folding iPhones since 2018 and currently has at least two working prototypes of clamshell folding models.
The new folding iPhone is described as being in the early stages of development, so the device will not be available to the public anytime soon. The report also said that Apple has encountered challenges with the folding screen iPhone project and is developing a large folding iPad.
The report claims Apple’s design team wanted to create a device half as thin as current iPhone models so that when folded, the phone wouldn’t be too thick. They have also explored adding an outward-facing screen for use when the iPhone is folded. However, the realities of components like batteries and displays have made it difficult for engineering to achieve these lofty goals.
The Information said Apple paused the folding iPhone project in 2020 and instead focused on a horizontally folding iPad, equivalent in size to an iPad mini, with a screen of about 8 inches. Compared to phones, folding iPads have less stringent durability requirements and the design can also be thicker.
Apple is said to be researching ways to minimize the crease in the middle of the screen that appears after multiple folds. The company wants the device to be completely flat, allowing users to interact with the screen using accessories like the Apple Pencil.
It is unclear whether Apple has successfully resolved these issues. But at least for iPhone 16 and 17, Apple will not launch a folding screen iPhone yet. A few years ago, Apple was said to be planning a foldable iPhone by 2025, but that schedule appears to have been delayed.