Forget the Galaxy Z Fold 2 — the foldable iPhone Flip just leaked

Forget the Galaxy Z Fold ii — the foldable iPhone Flip just leaked

(Image credit: ConceptsiPhone)

Rumors that Apple has been working on a foldable iPhone — the iPhone Flip — have been circulating for months, only it appears that the company is stepping up its internal experimentation. A new leak on Chinese social network Weibo suggests that Apple tree has ordered a "big number" of foldable screens from Samsung.

The foldable displays are reported to be samples for a number of prototype designs, rather than the company ramping upwards full production, so it would be extremely optimistic to imagine we'll run across anything foldable at this week's Apple tree consequence. Indeed, there's no guarantee that the visitor will stop upwards with a prototype that it believes is suitable for mass production.

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All the same, this is a big deal for those hoping that Apple tree will follow in the path of Samsung and go all in on foldable handsets. Samsung, of grade, has two foldable designs: the Galaxy Z Fold ii, which opens out to a big tablet forth the Y axis, and the Galaxy Z Flip which opens up into a regular sized phone forth the X axis. At that place's even a rumored Galaxy Z Fold Southward with a 360-degree hinge. And so what route is Apple taking?

We don't actually know. While some optimistic concept artists have come up up with an iPhone Flip design, the only real evidence we have comes from prolific Apple leaker Jon Prosser, who said back in June that the electric current paradigm "isn't really a foldable."

"The current prototype has 2 split up display panels on a hinge," he tweeted. "Circular, stainless steel edges like electric current iPhone 11 design. No notch — tiny forehead on outer display that houses Face ID."

Yous might exist picturing something similar the Microsoft Surface Duo at this point, merely Prosser says that, even at the prototype stage, Apple tree has something a fleck more slick in mind.

"The memes are funny — but it doesn't look like they just stuck two phones together," he continued. "Fifty-fifty though they're two dissever panels, when the displays are extended, information technology looks adequately continuous and seamless."

That doesn't sound like the kind of thing which would require an gild of foldable Samsung displays though, so perchance Apple is refining the design. Or mayhap it has a whole host of concepts that it'due south working on.

Delving in to the Apple patents archive reveals a whole host of possible options, from book-fashion designs to clamshells to unrollable scrolls. All bets are off as to which one nosotros'll run into in Tim Cook's hands showtime, if any.

Whichever ultimately emerges, don't bet on seeing it this yr. Well, not if Prosser's sources are right anyway.

Freelance contributor Alan has been writing about tech for over a decade, roofing phones, drones and everything in betwixt. Previously Deputy Editor of tech site Alphr, his words are plant all over the web and in the occasional magazine besides. When non weighing up the pros and cons of the latest smartwatch, you'll probably find him tackling his ever-growing games backlog. Or, more likely, playing Spelunky for the millionth time.