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Apple Testing In-Display Fingerprint Sensor for iPhone 13, Foldable iPhone Also in the Works

I‘m not fond of the foldable screen bandwagon. I always imagined Apple going the software way for this... hear me out:

The whole idea behind the foldable screen technology seems to be more screen real estate when you need it. The biggest selling point is the fact that you‘d get an iPhone and small iPad in one, potentially having a morphed feature set between the 2.

That sounds nice in theory but I vastly prefer having 2 separate devices, my iPhone and an iPad for when I need the additional screen real estate. That brings us to a technology Apple has added a long time ago... Handoff.

Apple should pour drastic resources into further developing their Handoff technology and even go as far as bolstering it to be a distributed processing power technology.

Imagine having a full ecosystem of Apple devices at home. Imagine having a game going on your iPhone, cause you‘re sitting on the toilet, but then you return to your iPad and you can instantly open the iPhone app & state in full iPad mode on your iPad.
Imagine having your iPhone display content wirelessly pop up as a floating window on macOS when you place your iPhone near your Mac.. imagine being able to use your mouse pointer as a finger on that app to control the phones touch screen. Imagine having the same happen for XCode running on your Mac, having it opened as a fullscreen app on your iPad Pro... imagine taking your currently running movie on the Apple TV with you to the bed, without having to navigate menus to restart where you left at, it just instantly beams over with the press of a button.

Imagine a world where all your Apple devices mesh together into a rich and interactive ecosystem, breaking up the boundaries of the individual devices.

Focus on Handoff, not a technology that‘s destined to die anyways. I also think that‘s what Apple is doing as evident by the HomePod mini fancy and intuitive U1 handoff mode.
 
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MacRumors said:


Apple has started "early work" on an iPhone that has a foldable display, according to a new report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Though testing of a foldable iPhone has begun, Apple has not committed to releasing a device that has a foldable display.

foldable-iPhone-concept-feature.jpg

Development has not yet expanded beyond a display and Apple does not have full foldable iPhone prototypes in its labs. Like foldable smartphones from other companies, a foldable iPhone would allow for Apple to create a larger display in a package that is still pocketable.

Apple has discussed several foldable screen sizes, including one that unfolds to a size similar to the 6.7-inch display on the iPhone 12 Pro Max. Apple's designs are said to have a "mostly invisible hinge" with electronics located behind the display rather than two panels separated by a visible hinge.

Bloomberg suggests that a foldable iPhone is likely "years away" or "ultimately may never be introduced," with Apple mostly focusing on the updates to its flagship iPhones and iPads that are coming in 2021.

The iPhone 13 models planned for this year are not expected to feature major design changes, as the 2020 iPhone models marked a significant technology and design overhaul. Apple engineers are said to consider the 2021 iPhones as an "S" version of the 2020 models. Apple has in the past used the "S" nomenclature in years where iPhone models featured more minor updates.

Though design changes are expected to be minor, Apple is testing an in-screen Touch ID fingerprint reader that would mark a major change to the biometric systems that Apple has used for flagship devices since the launch of the iPhone X.

iPhone-12-TouchID-Feature-Img-1.jpg

The fingerprint sensor would be made available in addition to Face ID, and would be convenient for iPhone users who cannot unlock their iPhones with facial recognition when using masks.

Apple has also considered removing the charging port for some iPhone models in favor of wireless charging, and that appears to be something that's still on the table for the 2021 iPhones at this time.

Bloomberg's report today also confirms that AirTags are expected to see a 2021 launch and it reiterates iPad Pro rumors that suggest Apple is working on an updated version with a mini-LED display and a faster processor.

Article Link: Apple Testing In-Display Fingerprint Sensor for iPhone 13, Foldable iPhone Also in the Work
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How much will the foldabale one cost 2,000? Looking at the way they priced the headphones it wouldn't surprise me if was even 2,500.
 
huge_apple_fangirl said:
Why would Apple want to make one device that has problems no iPhone or iPad has, and cost less than them combined, when they can sell you both of them now?



Source?

If it’s so expensive and delicate that people are afraid to use it...

Apple tests lots of things that never come to market. In the article it explicitly said there is no device planned but they have a screen in the lab. Actually, Apple already has a phone with a foldable display- the iPhone X and later. The display curves under the chin so that the display controller doesn’t have to be behind the chin. This allows Apple to make a phone with a uniform bezel around the edge, unlike Android manufacturers who have a slightly thicker bottom bezel. That is innovation. So it’s quite possible Apple’s folding screen in the lab doesn’t turn into a foldable device.
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actually a pro max and iPad Pro combined cost around the same price as a foldable iPhone would.

samsung sold around 1 million on the original and were aiming for 500,000 by end of 2020. So there is a market for these devices.

Yes it's very expensive and people should be afraid to use it on the streets but people should be if they are taking out their 1500 iPhone pro max or 3,000 MacBook out as well. certainly if people are on their phones in the street there is a far higher risk that those people will be not looking where they are going and risk that display going smash on the floor.

Apple do test alot of things yes but they certainly wouldn't be ordering foldable displays from samsung if it was just something they would test and not realistically are looking to adding to the line-up.

As for price sources say apple will likely charge maybe 100-200 more than the current fold so around 2k will be about right.
 
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Vjosullivan said:
But it'll be different when Apple finally get around to inventing it.
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of course just like OLED,wireless charging, ultra wide/night mode e.t.c

alot of apple fans downplay features which aren't on iPhones but love them when they are. alot of apple fans like to say we don't need this until apple say we do.
 
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The Game 161 said:
Apple do test alot of things yes but they certainly wouldn't be ordering foldable displays from samsung if it was just something they would test and not realistically are looking to adding to the line-up.
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The article says it may never ship and there are no phone prototypes, it is only in the lab.
 
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I’ve been using the Touch ID on the iPad Air for a month and it’s great. Just as good as the home button version. I think this will be route Apple will take.
 
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Lwio said:
I’ve been using the Touch ID on the iPad Air for a month and it’s great. Just as good as the home button version. I think this will be route Apple will take.
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How. The sensor is gigantic. They‘d need to drastically shrink it so it fits in an iPhone footprint, something they probably would‘ve done with the Air if they could.
 
Cost of three people making a foldable phone work: A few million.

Likelihood of foldable phones taking over the market: Tiny.

Cost of not having a foldable phone ready when it takes over the market: Billions.

So it’s most likely a tiny loss. Think of it as insurance policy.
 
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That won't be happening anytime soon with iOS, especially since Apple still encourages its developers to make separate iPhone and iPad apps. Plus continuity wouldn't work when switching from an iPhone to an iPad on the same i-device that folds like that. Besides today you would have to load both versions of the same app on the one device. I will go out of my way and say as a developer you will NOT see a device like that from Apple, if ever, unless Apple does a complete revamp on its app ecosystem. Now Apple could have a foldable that stays as an iPhone with only iPhone apps, like the Moto Razr or Galaxy Flip. But I will put that guarantee on that you will NOT see a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold, or Mate X Fold type devices for a very long time. Those devices work because Android and Google encourage their developers to make one app that works as both a smartphone app, and a tablet app.
 
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TouchID >> Faceid. in every way in terms of usability. faceid limits you that your face needs to be near by and in correct positioning.
 
By the iPhone 14 we'll remove the phone from the box and only mail pre-order postcards to save on shipping for the environment and have everyone pick-up from a local dropbox wearhouse or vending machine.
 
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People who have owned flip phones in the past:
Do you remember those giant scratches down its screen?
No, me neither.
 
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kensic said:
TouchID >> Faceid. in every way in terms of usability. faceid limits you that your face needs to be near by and in correct positioning.
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Fortunately, I always keep my face nearby for just such situations. :)
 
huge_apple_fangirl said:
Apple tests lots of things that never come to market. In the article it explicitly said there is no device planned but they have a screen in the lab. Actually, Apple already has a phone with a foldable display- the iPhone X and later. The display curves under the chin so that the display controller doesn’t have to be behind the chin. This allows Apple to make a phone with a uniform bezel around the edge, unlike Android manufacturers who have a slightly thicker bottom bezel. That is innovation. So it’s quite possible Apple’s folding screen in the lab doesn’t turn into a foldable device.
Click to expand...

You do know that isn't what Apple did right?
That was pure marketing, clever, but totally not true.

Look for a teardown video and show where the fold in the screen is, you won't find it.
 
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Klyster said:
You do know that isn't what Apple did right?
That was pure marketing, clever, but totally not true.

Look for a teardown video and show where the fold in the screen is, you won't find it.
Click to expand...
My mistake, but the point still stands. At no point does the article say Apple is definitively doing releasing a folding phone, and I hope they don’t because it is a fad that makes devices that don’t really increase functionality but are delicate and inelegant.
 
huge_apple_fangirl said:
A foldable phone is a solution in search of a problem. It is a worse tablet (crease) and a worse phone (thicker). It adds needless complexity that can fail- a hinge- and Apple hates moving parts. Also, nobody wants a folding phone. Tell me, have you ever saw someone using one? On the street? Exactly, it is change for the sake of change, not innovation. Just because Android manufacturers are jumping on board the hype train in a desperate attempt to differentiate themselves doesn’t mean Apple should do it too. Apple is better than that. “A thousand no’s for every yes”.
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How do you dare so emphatically to assure that nobody wants a folding phone??? It seems that you haven’t read all supporting comments of this thread (and many other threads in MR related to foldable phones).

I grant you that the idea has some detractors, but for sure that it also has a lot of supporters who you are badly underestimating, and you will see that while time passes, the idea will have more supporters, specially because is clear that people will keep wanting bigger screens every year, and the only way that smartphone manufacturers (Apple included) can achieve to keep offering bigger screens at the same time that the devices fit in our hands and our pockets, will be by launching flip and foldable smartphones.

So when the current glass slate design is wear enough, we will see the cell market full of flip and foldable phones, iPhone included. And I insist, no matter what MR readers think or opine, that’s the inevitable future.

BTW, Apple is the only one that can achieve the refinement and excellence that flip smartphones need to give the market a game changer once again.
 
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