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Samsung will reportedly provide foldable display samples for a potential future iPhone, following a request from Apple, according to leaker "Ice Universe," who has today shared the information on Weibo.

foldable-iphone.png


The "large number" of foldable displays will be samples for use in mobile phone devices, and Samsung will apparently supply the units to Apple for the duration of one year. The leaker also seemed to stress the immediacy of this development, perhaps implying that the order is about to commence.

Last year, it was reported that Samsung was shipping its foldable display technology to other companies, including Apple, in the hopes of receiving orders. The new leak may indicate that after testing initial samples last year, Apple is now trialling foldable devices more extensively. Some sources have proposed that a foldable iPhone could launch as soon as next year.

Samsung has historically been a key supplier to Apple, providing the OLED screens for iPhones. The company intends to dominate the foldable display market as a supplier, and was considering a move to step up production to 10 million units a year depending on demand.

Apple has been known to be working on foldable display technology for some time, filing multiple patents regarding the technology, and rumors have also floated around LG's potential involvement.

The repeated insinuation of Samsung's involvement and orders being placed by Apple offers a more concrete suggestion that work on a foldable iPhone is continuing at pace.

Article Link: Apple Reportedly Orders 'Large Number' of Samsung Foldable Mobile Phone Display Samples
 
This still seems so gimmicky. The idea of having an iPhone that can transform into an iPad in my pocket seems great, but not at the expense of having an iPhone twice as thick. Not to mention, the reliability and longevity of the screen where the phone folds still doesn't seem "there" yet, and I don't' want to pay $1,000+ to replace my screen after it has exceeded its "useful life" of folds. I'm sure Apple will continue prototyping, but I don't think we should expect to see this type of product for a while (not this year).
 
I would imagine they've been working on one for a while. If they can't get it right they put it on the shelf or keep working on it. How many versions of the original iPhone Apple must have went through before getting the final product? It wasn't pretty on the engineering and development either.
 
I am still not completely sold on a foldable phone yet. The concept is definitely cool. But every foldable so far has required design compromises that outweigh the novelty of a folding screen. I’ll certainly be interested to see how these devices evolve over the next few years. But, they still have a ways to go before I would be convinced to actually buy one.
 
Many years ago, a Microsoft employee took a "spy" pic of a van full of new Apple Mac computers that were being delivered to Microsoft. That was back in the Mac vs PC years. Needless to say, Gates found out who the traitor was and fired his ass.
They had a legit reason to buy a bunch of new Macs for their Mac software development team but the intention of the guy who took the picture and posted it online was obvious.
 
Glad to see Apple experimenting with this... as someone who reads all the time on an iPad, I would love to be able to carry a phone around that I could fold open and read anywhere...

...but I also agree the current tech doesn't look good enough yet. But I think Apple would only release one if it could be done well. So I'm glad they are investing some R&D into it, even if the potential payoff is years away.
 
They may as well just look for a very flexible screen for another purpose...
Just sayin'...

Quite frankly, I think the brick-style design will be the "final" handheld design. It's the best overall design with no moving parts. Any folding design is at least a step back in terms of mechanical stability for little benefit unless that thing folds up left AND right essentiall becoming an iPad mini...
 
To be 100% honest, I don't know if I'd buy a foldable iPhone if Apple released one. I've had a hard time seeing the usefulness of a foldable phone (especially with all the QC issues), and I'd be skeptical if Apple did the same thing.
 
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