Apple enthusiasts have been waiting for a foldable iPhone for about seven years, ever since its chief rival Samsung launched its first foldable phone. While Apple has not made any public announcement about its plans for a foldable iPhone, several reports have suggested that the device could finally arrive later this year.
In his latest Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman from Bloomberg said that the purported foldable iPhone could represent the most significant overhaul in the iPhone’s history. According to Gurman, the foldable iPhone would be the first real form-factor change in the iPhone lineup.
He said the device will feature a completely new design for Apple, “even if it’s basically a copy of what other phone makers have been doing for years.” Sharing his experience with foldable devices, Gurman noted that watching videos on a foldable phone offers a far superior experience compared with traditional smartphones, while still remaining practical thanks to the manageable size when folded.
In a report published on March 11, Gurman outlined what users can expect from the upcoming foldable iPhone. He suggested that the device could differ from many existing foldable phones due to its aspect ratio. According to the report, the internal foldable display will be roughly the size of an iPad mini, while the external screen will be similar to the display on a small iPhone.
A report by MacRumors also claimed that the foldable iPhone may feature a 7.8-inch inner display and a 5.5-inch outer display.
iOS experience instead of iPadOS
Gurman also said the foldable iPhone will continue to run the same iPhone software rather than adopting iPadOS. Apple is expected to keep the simpler multitasking system used on earlier iPads. However, the company is reportedly developing new iOS app layouts and revamping its core apps to include sidebars along the left edge of the screen, similar to many of its iPad apps.
According to Gurman, the foldable iPhone will be able to show two apps side by side, but it may not support running several windows simultaneously like an iPad mini. This approach is similar to foldable phones offered by Samsung and Google.
Apple is also reportedly working to address two major shortcomings seen in current foldable phones: narrow internal displays and the visible crease. To overcome these issues, Gurman said Apple has chosen a new display technology designed to reduce the crease, though it may not eliminate it entirely. The company has also worked on improving durability so the screen can be opened and closed more times before failing.
Camera and biometric changes
According to the report, the foldable iPhone may feature a small hole-punch cutout for the front-facing camera on the outer display, replacing the pill-shaped notch used on current iPhones. However, it will still include the Dynamic Island interface for viewing system alerts and monitoring information from apps.
The report also suggests Apple could ditch the Face ID system and instead integrate Touch ID into the side button. The inner display is also expected to rely on a hole-punch camera, as Apple reportedly found that under-display camera technology produced worse image quality.
Expected camera and hardware specifications
The foldable iPhone could include two rear cameras — a main lens and an ultra-wide lens, which would be one fewer camera than today’s high-end iPhones. Rumours suggest that both lenses could be 48 megapixels. Reports also indicate that the device may be powered by an A20 chipset with 12GB of RAM.
Multiple rumours further suggest that the foldable iPhone could measure around 7.6 to 7.8 inches when unfolded and about 5.5 inches when closed.
