The iPhone may soon be available as a flip phone.
Apple has developed at least two prototypes of its best-selling smartphone that folds like a clamshell. According to the technology news site “The Information”.
This foldable version is reportedly in the early stages of development and won’t be available to Apple consumers until 2026 at the earliest.
The Cupertino, California-based tech giant is in talks with at least one manufacturer in Asia about which components to use in its two foldable iPhones, The Information reported.
According to the report, if the prototype does not meet Apple’s standards, the project will be canceled entirely.
The Post has reached out to Apple for comment.
Last summer, Samsung launched two foldable smartphones: the Galaxy Flip 5 and the Galaxy Z Fold 5. These have more advanced cameras, sharper visuals, and more features for work, text, and video chat.
However, the high price puts it out of reach for many consumers, as the Flip 5 costs about $1,000 in the US, while the Fold 5 costs about $1,800.
Global shipments of foldable phones are expected to approach 19 million units in 2023, an increase of 45% from 2022, mainly due to rising consumer demand in China, according to technology market research firm Counterpoint.
Apple has been considering foldable iPhones and iPads for more than a decade, but company executives weren’t fully committed to the idea, sources told The Information.
The company’s CEO, Tim Cook, approached engineers with the idea of a foldable device in 2018, the report said.
Sources told The Information that the company has decided not to go all-in on foldable devices because of their high retail price and lack of compelling features that would make consumers want to buy them. He says he is hesitant about it.
Former Apple employees told The Information that the company is working with Samsung and fellow South Korean tech giant LG to develop a prototype foldable iPad.
In 2020, Apple engineers abandoned development of a foldable iPhone and instead focused on a foldable iPad that is the same size as the iPad Mini.
A foldable iPad is thought to be more viable because it is thicker than a foldable iPhone and does not have to pass the drop tests required of an iPhone.
