Apple Still Testing Ultra-Thin Glass to Eliminate Foldable iPhone Crease

[MacRumors]

Apple is reportedly testing next-generation ultra-thin flexible glass (UFG) for its book-style foldable iPhone as it works to make the display crease invisible and potentially solve one of the most persistent issues of existing foldable displays.

According to Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station, Apple is evaluating UFG panels with uneven thickness, using thinner glass in the folding area to improve flexibility while retaining thicker sections elsewhere for rigidity and durability.

Unlike existing foldables, which rely on ultra-thin glass (UTG) that inevitably deforms along the hinge, UFG is designed to distribute bending stress more evenly across the panel. In theory, this approach could reduce the crease to the point where it becomes visually imperceptible during everyday use.

The testing is said to be ongoing as Apple refines manufacturing processes and long-term reliability targets ahead of an expected 2026 launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models.

The timing may appear late in Apple's development cycle, but it doesn't necessarily suggest a delay. Apple is likely currently transitioning from design validation into early production validation, where the big hardware decisions are already locked in, but more high-risk components continue to undergo final qualification.

Apple testing UFG now could be part of an effort to validate the novel way it's being applied, rather than to do with a decision about whether to use the technology at all. Apple could have more mature UTG solutions available as a fallback if its targets are not met. The report also claims that multiple Chinese display makers are also evaluating UFG-based solutions, suggesting the technology is approaching commercial readiness.

• iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

The foldable iPhone is expected to feature a book-style design with an approximately 5.3- to 5.5-inch outer display and a 7.8-inch inner screen. It will reportedly use liquid metal hinges to achieve a virtually crease-free display and is expected to be priced between $2,000 and $2,500, making it Apple's most expensive iPhone ever.

Article Link: Apple Still Testing Ultra-Thin Glass to Eliminate Foldable iPhone Crease

 

[TimCooked]

I thought they have already eliminated the crease??!!!

 

[DMG35]

I find it highly unlikely that this phone is releasing at all in 2026 if they are still testing glass for it.

 

[dominiongamma]

I thought they have already eliminated the crease??!!!

This! MacRumors reported it too

 

[froot1988]

I thought they have already eliminated the crease??!!!

Fool me once

 

[sunapple]

This seems like a tough thing to design but I imagine they will have perfected the hardware before the software team figures out how to smoothly transition between open and closed.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

Folding Glass on Liquid Glass. Too much Glass for me.

 

[DunedinD]

It’s gonna end up held back to be iPhone XX, huh.

 

[cdsapplefan]

This seems like a tough thing to design but I imagine they will have perfected the hardware before the software team figures out how to smoothly transition between open and closed.

I would wait until Version 2 or 3 of this product. This is Apple’s first time in this folding segment and there will be so many blunders and mistakes.

 

[Trusteft]

I still don't understand who asked for this folding phone product.

 

[Unami]

Sounds like a trainwreck in the making. It's not their fault that the press reported on rumors that they "nearly eliminated the crease" but if they now release a phone with even a slight crease or one that wears out after a few thousand bends - and still take an arm and a leg for it - it will probably become the next iPhone Air.

 

[justafew]

That 5.5 inch outer screen would make this a hard pass for me at least. The iPhone 8 Plus had that size screen and I am too used to a bigger screen now even for quick tasks. Hopefully they will increase it in future iterations, like Samsung did with a 6.5 inch on the z fold 7 (their first was only 4.6"!)

 

[asparagus]

I'm definitely in the 'second gen' camp on this one. Apple's consistently shown they like to release a solid 1.0 and then get major feedback and subsequent versions tend to knock it out of the park. I also - I already have a big ipad, a big macbook, and a (slightly too big) iphone. i struggle to envsion where this nicely fits. expanded, it's basically a small ipad mini. I have two small children and I know durability is a key component for me. I'm excited they're getting into new stuff, but I'm definitely a gen 2 on this one.

 

[Rychiar]

so much effort for such a niche product. take that effort and put it into another niche product I actually want developed more like Vision Pro lol

 

[MayaUser]

If they are still testing...will not be an 2026 product this crease-lessss foldable

 

[randomgeeza]

I used to work for Samsung - and the devices that constantly suffered issues were the foldables. They cracked, got punctured and inevitably were dropped and damaged. And whilst the wow factor is there, any foldable device is currently subject to these issues and as such, none warranty service - which is costly at best and is the only remedy. Additionally, people just simply did not know how to correctly handle these types of devices. One person's idea of careful handling is another person's gasp and cringe at how badly the device has been treated.

 

[Dark-Signature]

I thought they have already eliminated the crease??!!!

Perhaps this is exactly as reported here a few weeks ago, but appearance isn't everything. Perhaps the current solution feels the same as the competition's touchscreen, giving the impression of working on a rubber-plastic layer that has nothing to do with the extreme quality we all know from our current iPhones?

When it comes to the foldable devices from that stupid Samsung company, I always feel like they came out of a gum ball machine. I would never buy one. Well, unfortunately, the company forces this junk on me.

 

[phuklok1]

i would be far happier with a simpler solution. two separate durable nice edge to edge (at junction) glass screens with a small seam at the hinge point. flexing any material multiple times a day as you would with a phone is not a good solution for device longevity.

 

[CharlesShaw]

Give us this day our daily bread foldable iPhone rumor.

 

[froot1988]

I still don't understand who asked for this folding phone product.

Who asked for the iPhone? Don't buy it if you don't like it the market will decide

 

[StoneJack]

I still don't understand who asked for this folding phone product.

I asked

 

[macabrumorsab]

I know it won't be popular to say this in this forum but the crease will go away once Samsung has solved the issue. Then Apple will adapt the solution however it might be solved by Samsung. Not sure why many people believe Apple would be able to pull this off and not the company with the most experience and which also produces the actual foldable glass.

 

[HouseLannister]

I thought they have already eliminated the crease??!!!

They also created a More Personal Siri, an Apple Watch with a camera, a HomePod with a screen, a TV set, and a car. They haven't done anything until it ships.

 

[baconcat_8964]

One thing I waited for Apple's foldable is Apple Care+. I tried Samsung and Huawei foldables, their extended warranty only offers two to three years at most. The quality of their service centers is not even close to the Apple Store. And, iFixit basically useless for foldables.

 

[Mike Heer]

Foldable phone make up 1.5% to 2.5% of worldwide phone sales. I dont see this happening,