Apple has begun work on a foldable phone, and according to the prototyping of folding screens internally Bloomberg. A latest device is probably years away, the report says, and Apple is currently only working on the screen – not the rest of the phone to which it will be attached..
The initial prototypes sound similar to the foldable screens we saw used by Samsung, Motorola and others. Bloomberg says Apple is looking at making foldable screens with a ‘mostly invisible hinge’ that can fold up to about the size of the iPhone 12 Pro Max. However, the report states that various screen sizes are discussed.
Apple has not publicly shown any interest in making a foldable phone, though the company is rarely interested before entering a new product category. Major competitors have an advantage over foldable devices, with Samsung and Motorola releasing several generations of folding phones. Samsung’s Galaxy Fold appeared in April 2019 (albeit with some major issues).
On a more immediate note, Bloomberg has some updates on Apple products coming in 2021. It is expected that this year there will be ‘minor upgrades’ on the iPhone, but another significant improvement is still a possibility: a fingerprint sensor on the screen. Bloomberg already in 2019 said that Apple is already investigating the feature in 2020, and it will be an obvious addition in 2021, as the widespread use of face masks has severely hampered the ability to use Face ID.
It’s not clear how likely the touch ID on the display will be in 2021 (Apple tends to shut down iPhone features before production), Bloomberg says Apple is still testing the technology for inclusion this year. On a worse note, Bloomberg also says that Apple has discussed removing the Lightning port in favor of wireless charging on ‘some’ iPhone models.
Apple’s long-rumored Tile rival, AirTags, is finally scheduled to launch this year, Bloomberg reports, and the iPad Pro can be refreshed with a Mini LED screen. A thinner entry-level iPad is also reportedly underway.