Foldable iPhone rumors and leaks: everything we know so far

APPLE is rumored to be working on a foldable iPhone, which would allow the Silicon Valley giant to finally take on Samsung.

Samsung took Apple’s crown as the world’s best-selling phone maker earlier this year – which has fueled the ongoing rivalry.

1

Apple hasn’t actually confirmed that it’s working on its own foldable device, after Samsung popularized the concept.

But here are all the rumors about the company’s first foldable iPhone, so far.

Size

The device’s screen is expected to be between 6.7 inches – in proportion to the Galaxy Z Flip 5 – 8 inches, according to multiple reports.

An 8-inch screen would put the entire length of the screen next to the iPad mini’s 8.3-inch screen.

Renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also says that Apple is testing a 9-inch screen for a foldable – which would make any foldable phone on the market.

Instead of mirroring Samsung’s Fold devices, Apple will reportedly echo the Galaxy Z Flip 5 with a palm-sized clamshell shape that makes it portable when folded.

New features

Apple is trying to overcome the easily breakable design with a “self-healing material,” according to new patents discovered by The Independent.

The material is a polymeric coating that “can fill the dent even without external intervention” using internal heat, light or electrical current.

Price

Apple products are typically quite high end.

But to navigate an easily breakable design while staying true to smartphone durability promises, Apple will need to use high-quality, durable parts.

Of course, this means the product will be very expensive – and probably more expensive than previous iPhones.

Apple’s newest and most expensive device, the iPhone 15 Pro Max, starts at $1,199/£1,199.

Samsung’s popular Galaxy Z Fold 5 starts at an even higher price.

Although, as Tech Radar points out, if Apple decides to sell its iPhone at a 50% premium over the current iPhone 15 Pro, it will still be cheaper than Samsung’s most expensive foldable phone.

The bottom line is: foldable phones are expensive.

Release date of

Initial reports predicted that Apple would launch a foldable iPhone as early as 2026.

However, new analysis from Taiwanese research firm TrendForce says the launch date is unlikely to be before 2027.

Apple is believed to be closer to launching a foldable iPad mini – which could test the waters of its foldable iPhone lineup.

The company typically holds three or four events to reveal new products each year.

There’s usually a spring event around March or April, the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, a September event focused on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and sometimes an October event that usually includes Macs and iPads.

Typically, Apple leans toward the second Tuesday in September for its annual iPhone release dates — which may be accompanied by a doubling number in some years.

Is Apple giving in to pressure?

Analysis by Millie Turner, technology and science reporter at The Sun.

Even for die-hard iPhone fans, the recent iterations of the Samsung Flip and Fold smartphones have turned heads.

It was the first Android-based device that seemed to have the potential to turn iOS lovers to the ‘dark side’ – according to iPhone owners themselves.

The nostalgic and portable Samsung Galaxy Flip spoke to iPhone users in a way that Android devices simply hadn’t before.

Not to mention Samsung’s slick, star-studded marketing campaign.

Social media was flooded with iOS users hailing the chic ’90s vibe the Flip was giving off — and the notebook element sported by the Fold.

If the rumors are true, and Apple is indeed investing to bring its own foldable to the market, then it’s clear that the company has given in to pressure and is trying to fend off the lure of its Korean rival.