According to a Taiawanese Website The Economic Daily Times, two prototype iPhones with foldable display have passed internal tests in Foxconn factory, located in Shenzen, China. According to the report explained via MacRumors, each prototype iPhone has a foldable display design that features a folding hinge system designed by Apple. So far, it has passed durability tests in China, and is set to move forward with the next stage.
First iPhone Prototype: "Dual-Screen Model"
The first prototype is described as a dual-screen model made with two separate displays connected by a hinge. According to iMore, this was rumored back in June 2020 by Jon Prosser, a youtube vlogger of Front Page Tech known to share Android leaks since 2013. According to Prosser, the rumored "iPhone fold" can be a game changer. The dual display feature in this design allows the two display panels to come together when folded out to appear like a giant screen. According to Prosser, the displays should come together in a "fairly continuous and seamless" fashion.
See more: RUMOR: Apple is Creating a Foldable iPhone, Here's What We Know So Far
Although Apple is not the first one to release this kind of design, as it seems similar to that of Microsoft's Surface Duo, it still seems to be a big leap from the tech giant. It is also rumored that Apple has begun patenting the dual-screen foldable device. It is still ambigious to comapre Apple's soon to release foldable iPhones with the existing smartphones in the market,
Second iPhone Prototype: Clamshell Model
The second iPhone that has made its way through the durability test has a clamshell foldable feature. The device is reminiscent of that of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip or the new Motorola Razr. The UDN report claims that Apple utilizes a flexible Samsung OLED display, and that prior to the testing, Apple has ordered a "large number" of Samsung foldable phones for samples. There are no reports yet as to how Samsung has responded to this issue. So far, we know no complaints.
As narrated in the report, Apple only plans to move forward with one of the designs that have passed through the durability test in Foxconn Factory. This means that they only plan on moving forward towards the next stage of development using only one of these designs. There are no reports yet on which design seems to have a better chance of making it through the next phase. Apple has not focused much yet on developing the internal system of the phone. The two devices that have been tested are only shells rather than fully-developed devices. The durability test was only meant to test the viability of the hinge system. However, it is not yet revealed if the two devices use a different hinge system during testing.
According to UDN, the foldable iPhone is still on its early stages of development, and should not have a public release or announcement yet until 2022 or 2023. No leaks of any specs have been revealed yet. Until then, Apple has yet to figure out how it can make a breakthrough for the first-ever foldable iPhone.
See related article:Xiaomi Could Be Making a Foldable Smartphone with 108mp Camera, Also Releasing MIUI 12
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Written by Nikki Delgado
