Come 2022, your iPhone may in fact feature a nifty folding screen.
According to supply chain reports from sources close to the story, long-term Apple partner Foxconn has begun testing a folding iPhone for Apple that could ship in September 2022.
Such a move would back up a recent claim that Apple has ordered screens for a foldable iPhone from Samsung. The testing is reported to focus on the use of OLED or micro LED, with one technology potentially winning out over the other.
Per reports from China’s United Daily News, Apple has asked Foxconn to test both the screen as well as the bearings of the folding iPhone. The bearings, which function as the actual folding element, could be sourced from multiple suppliers, with the final assembly being handled by Foxconn.
The article has also stated that for a folding iPhone, Foxconn will conduct over 100,000 opening and closing tests.
While the report offers no further details, and sources say the development is constantly changing, it does lend credence to claims by noted leaker Jon Prosser that Apple is developing a foldable iPhone as a two-screen device similar to Microsoft’s Surface Duo tablet.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via AppleInsider, United Daily News, and @jon_prosser