Apple may not be happy with the state of folding technology, but there’s no way it’s shelving the foldable iPhone
Apple’s foldable iPhone plans are dead. It’s just too difficult to bridge the gap between today’s foldable display technology and Apple’s high standards. Only I don’t believe this latest rumor, not at all.
This week, Digitimes reported that Apple’s foldable iPhone plans had been pushed back to 2027, then doubled down on analyst concerns that Apple’s flexible iPhone plans could be shelved indefinitely.
I have no doubt that Apple is hard at work on many different foldable iPhone and even iPad designs, testing the multi-piece chassis and especially the flexible OLED, various polymers and ultra-thin glass needed to make effective, attractive and usable foldable create screens.
It’s hard work. I’m sure it’s clear to Apple that the current state of the art is far from perfection.
Perfect is the enemy of the good
A few years ago I spoke with Samsung EVP and flagship product R&D team head Dr. Won-Joon Choi on his continued efforts to perfect his already industry-leading foldable line. He walked me through the transition from a plastic shell to ultra-thin glass, and Samsung’s efforts to eliminate the bend crease that still exists today on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5.
Dr. Choi told me at the time that Samsung was looking at some ways to reduce the wrinkle. One would widen the bend to make it less noticeable, and the other looked at new materials. Dr. At least Choi had a sense of humor about it, telling me that getting rid of the crease is “part of his homework.”
Perhaps Apple CEO Tim Cook looked at each of them and snorted, “No, not for us!”
Samsung is not alone in this. I have yet to see a foldable product that doesn’t have a crease that you can clearly see and feel. OnePlus Open has less of it, but is still visible. Google Pixel Fold has it, and adds a weird quirk where you have to press the sides of the phone again to flatten the screen.
In its efforts to design and build the ultimate foldable device, I’m sure Apple has scrutinized every folding screen device on the market. Perhaps Apple CEO Tim Cook looked at each of them and snorted, “No, not for us!” He probably demands that the iPhone Fold or iPad Fold have no visible creases.
If the late Steve Jobs were still starring, he would have said, “We don’t ship with a fold!” I think Cook is more pragmatic and possibly enables the “least visible fold in the market”.
Do it your way, Apple
Of course, Apple doesn’t build most of the components, and reports indicate the company is in talks with Samsung and LG Display to acquire folding panels. Each company has extensive experience with flexible OLED panels, and Samsung’s best work can be seen in the fold line.
However, Apple is known for not accepting the same product as everyone else. It requires an ARM chip and is designed to meet Apple’s own Silicon specifications. It will micro-manage the components until it is satisfied with the final product. This is not about vanity or even control, but about full-stack quality. Apple products work well together because they are all developed and designed by Apple (even if Apple doesn’t build them by hand).
There is only so long before Apple will give Samsung the lead in the foldable market.
I’m sure there’s some frustration that current foldable screen technology won’t give us a foldable iPhone display that, when unfolded, is perfectly flat and feels exactly the same as the iPhone 15 Pro’s Super Retina XDR display Max. That doesn’t mean Apple is giving up.
There is only so long before Apple will give Samsung the lead in the foldable market. Granted, it’s still a small market, but with more competitors pouring in (OnePlus, Honor), it’s clear they’re all sniffing around a greater market opportunity later. Apple’s traditional iPhone market is flattening, and while it can still generate huge revenue from upgrades, it needs something to inspire new customers. It should prevent people from switching to Android so that they can own a cool foldable flip phone from Samsung or Motorola.
So if you’ve read this far, let me say it clearly: Apple is far from done with its foldable iPhone or iPad efforts, and 2027 can’t come soon enough.