Foldable iPhone Could Arrive in 2027 or Be Postponed Indefinitely

According to Alpha Biz (via DigiTimes), Apple executives have adjusted the launch schedule for the foldable ‌iPhone‌ from the fourth quarter of 2026 to the first quarter of 2027 following issues with the acquisition of parts, including foldable displays that meet its high standards.

Apple is still in the early stages of developing two foldable smartphones, according to The Information. The report said that the two ‌iPhone‌ prototypes fold widthwise like a clamshell. More recently, Samsung Securities claimed that Apple's first foldable ‌iPhone‌ will feature a 6-inch external display and an 8-inch main display.

Meanwhile, Korean outlet The Elec last month reported that Apple is also considering launching a 7- to 8-inch device that could ultimately replace the 8.3-inch iPad mini.

Despite the rumors, however, there is increasing skepticism among analysts over whether Apple will abandon its foldable phone in the near term because the company is concerned that existing foldable technology has not yet matured in such a way that would enable it to realize the kind of next-generation application its engineers and designers have in mind.

Only last month a Chinese rumor claimed that Apple had suspended its development of a foldable ‌iPhone‌ after supplier displays failed to pass the company's own stringent testing standards. Apple is said to have been testing rival foldable phones since 2016 as part of its research and development process into foldable devices.

In one cited case, one of the latest folding panels made by Samsung reportedly "broke down after a few days" under Apple's rigorous internal testing, which allegedly caused Apple to put the entire project on ice for the foreseeable future.

The company is seemingly struggling to eliminate the crease that forms in the middle of a display due to repeated folding, and is still working out a design for a hinge that allows the display to lie totally flat, without a bump or dip in the middle. Apple has also been looking at filling panels with polymer materials such as silicone or acrylate to reduce light reflection issues.

Popular Stories

iOS 18 Rumored to Add These 10 New Features to Your iPhone

Wednesday April 24, 2024 2:05 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol

Apple is set to unveil iOS 18 during its WWDC keynote on June 10, so the software update is a little over six weeks away from being announced. Below, we recap rumored features and changes planned for the iPhone with iOS 18. iOS 18 will reportedly be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, with new ChatGPT-inspired generative AI features, a more customizable Home Screen, and much more....

Apple ID Accounts Logging Out Users and Requiring Password Reset

Saturday April 27, 2024 12:41 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

There are widespread reports of Apple users being locked out of their Apple ID overnight for no apparent reason, requiring a password reset before they can log in again. Users say the sudden inexplicable Apple ID sign-out is occurring across multiple devices. When they attempt to sign in again they are locked out of their account and asked to reset their password in order to regain access. ...

Apple's Regular Mac Base RAM Boosts Ended When Tim Cook Took Over

Friday April 26, 2024 6:34 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

Apple used to regularly increase the base memory of its Macs up until 2011, the same year Tim Cook was appointed CEO, charts posted on Mastodon by David Schaub show. Earlier this year, Schaub generated two charts: One showing the base memory capacities of Apple's all-in-one Macs from 1984 onwards, and a second depicting Apple's consumer laptop base RAM from 1999 onwards. Both charts were...

The MacRumors Show: Apple's iPad Event Finally Announced!

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss the announcement of Apple's upcoming "Let loose" event, where the company is widely expected to announce new iPad models and accessories. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Apple's event invite shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, suggesting that iPads will be a focus of the event. Apple CEO Tim...

Apple Event Rumors: iPad Pro With M4 Chip and New Apple Pencil With Haptic Feedback

In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman outlined some of the new products he expects Apple to announce at its "Let Loose" event on May 7. First, Gurman now believes there is a "strong possibility" that the upcoming iPad Pro models will be equipped with Apple's next-generation M4 chip, rather than the M3 chip that debuted in the MacBook Pro and iMac six months ago. He said a ...

Apple Announces 'Let Loose' Event on May 7 Amid Rumors of New iPads

Apple has announced it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. Eastern Time), with a live stream to be available on Apple.com and on YouTube as usual. The event invitation has a tagline of "Let Loose" and shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, suggesting that iPads will be a focus of the event. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...