The folding iPhone of your dreams could be on the way.
According to a recently published patent and the cool cats at TechRadar, two foldable iPhone designs have passed durability tests. Apple, in turn, has been granted a patent for a new kind of hinge mechanism:
As per United Daily News, these prototypes are just phone shells, which we’re assuming include the casings and the displays but not the various internal components. They’ve reportedly been tested out in China, at a factory run by Apple’s regular supplier Foxconn. One prototype is said to use a clamshell form factor, like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip or the Motorola Razr. When opened up, the phone has one single and unbroken display, and then the top half folds down over the bottom half. Meanwhile, a new patent filing has been published, showing the hinge mechanism that Apple might be using on one of its foldable iPhone designs. It would actually enable the phone to fold both ways, inwards (like the Galaxy Z Fold 2) and outwards (like the Huawei Mate Xs).
It’s unknown as to exactly when we could see a folding iPhone, but they’re apparently making progress.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via The Mac Observer, TechRadar, and United Daily News