Apple considers a folding iPhone; Minor changes planned for 2021 models

Photographer: Michael Short / Bloomberg

Apple Inc. has begun work on a folding-screen iPhone, a potential rival for similar devices from Samsung Electronics Co. and others, though only planning minor changes to this year’s iPhone line.

The Cupertino, California-based company has developed prototypes of folding screens for internal testing, but has not consolidated plans to launch a foldable iPhone. Development work has not expanded beyond a screen, meaning Apple does not yet have full headset prototypes in its labs, according to a person familiar with the work, who asked that they not be identified in private matters.

Like Samsung ‘s Galaxy Fold, the The reboot of Motorola Razr and other offerings from Chinese companies, such as Huawei Technologies Co., a foldable iPhone would allow Apple to manufacture a device with a larger screen in a larger pocket package. Apple has debated internally several foldable screen sizes, including one that is developed to a size similar to the 6.7-inch screen of the iPhone 12 Pro Max. Current folding phones have 6- and 8-inch display screens.

Apple’s folding screens in testing, like Samsung’s, have a mostly invisible hinge with the electronics behind the screen, the person said. Other companies, including Microsoft Corp., have recently launched devices with visible hinges that separate two different panels. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment.

This would be a radical exit for Apple. Its pioneering touchscreen smartphone is arguably the most successful consumer technology product in history, helping to make Apple the most valuable company in the world. However, it is likely that a folding iPhone is years away or may never be introduced. The company is currently focused on launching its flagship next-generation iPhones and iPads later this year.

Apple does not plan major changes to this year’s iPhone line, given the improvements made to the smartphone in 2020, including 5G and new designs, according to people who are familiar with the situation. Within Apple, engineers consider the next iPhones another “S” version of the device, the nomenclature that is usually given to new iPhones with minor updates.

The Covid-19 pandemic has also complicated product development, as Apple’s hardware engineers only work in the company’s Silicon Valley offices a few days a week and in limited numbers. This has meant downloading jobs from Apple engineers in China.

Last year, the pandemic delayed the launch of the iPhone 12 for several weeks, but Apple was able to include almost all the features planned, except for an accessory called “AirTags” to locate physical items such as backpacks and keys. Now the company plans to launch this accessory this year and is planning several accessories, including a leather keychain. Samsung announced a similar handset earlier this month.