iPhone Flip release date, price, leaks and what we want from Apple's foldable iPhone

Date:
Tue, 13 Jul 2021 13:42:44 +0000

Description:
It may be some time before we see an iPhone Flip foldable Apple phone, but here's all we've heard about what might come.

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While the name 'iPhone Flip' is a name fans are using as a placeholder, it refers to a much-rumored device: Apple's anticipated upcoming foldable phone
, which we know about through rumors and reports more than concrete information from the company.

How long Apple has been working on a foldable phone which may end up being called theiPhone Flip, or maybe iPhone Fold depending on its form factor is unclear, but the tech giant infamously keeps its projects under wraps until its ready to reveal them.

Likewise, Apple has typically taken its time releasing its own take on new devices, so we weren't surprised the device didn't debut alongside the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro in October 2020. We possibly won't see it with the
iPhone 13 either.

But getting a foldable phone with a level of Apple polish sure is enticing. Only a few of the devices have been widely released, and phone makers havent ironed out some of the bigger issues, like display durability and battery life.

Theres the old sentiment that the age of the smartphone didnt truly arrive until the first iPhone came out in 2007 and while that oversimplifies phone evolution, it also speaks to how much Apples product designs influence types of devices.

For better or worse, theres a reason we have widespread facial recognition
but far fewer headphone jacks, for instance. But the resulting Apple product will very likely be the most refined version of a foldable weve yet seen.

Heres everything weve heard which, right now, isnt much and what wed like
to see in a foldable iPhone. Latest news

According to a report, A pple recently invested a huge sum of money into Corning , which makes glass for smartphones. Apparently, this could be in order to aid Corning create foldable glass screens for devices like the
iPhone Flip. All of the foldable phones we've seen so far Cut to the chase What is it? The first folding phone from Apple When is it out? We don't know; possibly 2022 How much will it cost? Expect it to be expensive Foldable
iPhone release date and price

Sadly, we havent heard anything remotely close to an idea of when the device will be coming out, much less a solid foldable iPhone release date.

Weve only heard rumors about patents and leaks, like this one from Jon
Prosser , that talk about a current prototype, suggesting that Apple may not have even finalized a design. Prosser went on to confirm that the tech giant was working on a foldable, but implied that it wouldnt be coming this year.

One source suggested we wouldn't be seeing a foldable iPhone until 2023 at
the earliest, and that report even suggested it may be later than that as well.

We may be a ways off from a commercially-available foldable iPhone but given how well the company keeps its new designs under wraps, the device could be farther along than we suspect.

We also don't know how much this is set to cost when it does land, but considering a lot of foldable phones costs well over the $1000 / 1000 / AU$2000 you should expect it to be a high price to pay.

As for the name, we've only heard rumor that it could be called the iPhone Flip, likely referring to the Galaxy Z Flip-like patents we've seen that hint at a clamshell folding format. Foldable iPhone leaks and rumors

At this point, foldable iPhone rumors fall broadly into two camps: one which suggests the device will have a true folding display, and the other
suggesting two distinct screens separated by a hinge.

Several designs were revealed in a patent dump back in February 2019, some with a large display on the inside of folding sections with a single hinge, while another had two hinges for a hypothetical three displays that fold in
on themselves in a Z-shaped formation. Image 1 of 3 Image credit: Apple / US Patent and Trademark Office (Image credit: Apple / US Patent and Trademark Office) This design shows how an iPhone could look when folded. Image 2 of 3 Image credit: Apple / US Patent and Trademark Office (Image credit: Apple /
US Patent and Trademark Office) These two designs show possible ways the screen could store in the body of the device when folded. Image 3 of 3 Image credit: Apple / US Patent and Trademark Office (Image credit: Apple ) This design shows what a device would look like when folded into three sections.

Other patents, like the one discovered in March 2020, reveal Apple could be working on a foldable with two distinct displays separated by a hinge. While the patented design suggests the tech giant would attempt to minimize the bezel between the screens as much as possible, it would still be more noticeable than a truly folding long display.

Thats what leaker Jon Prosser suggested on Twitter: Apples current foldable iPhone design has two separate display panels on a hinge. Apples foldable iPhone isnt really a foldable. The current prototype has two separate
display panels on a hinge. Round, stainless steel edges like current iPhone
11 design.No notch tiny forehead on outter display that houses Face ID. June 15, 2020 See more

While its purportedly just a current prototype and not a final design, its described as having rounded edges like the current iPhone 11 , unlike the squared-off edges on the iPhone 12 family.

Theres also no notch for front-facing cameras: the sensors checking Face ID will be housed in a tiny forehead on the outer display, according to Prosser. (Image credit: Patently Apple)

This matches a later Prosser leak that suggested the iPhone Flip may come in
a clamshell shape - similar to the Motorola Razr 2020 or the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip - and the same source said it'd be sold in "fun colors".

We think that means you can expect some bold shades for the iPhone Flip when it lands.

We've seen another image of what the foldable iPhone could look like thanks
to another patent, this one showing a device that folds out into a bigger device like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 .

This device, which we're dubbing the iPhone Fold, has one display that's longer than the other, so when it's folded shut you can see your
notifications to one edge.

A separate leak suggests this folding iPhone could come with Apple Pencil support , and have a display measuring 7.3-inch or 7.6-inches across.

We'd expect Apple to make a clamshell device first, but something like this could be on its way too.

Apple's foldable phone might also have a protective layer on top of the
screen that can defend against cracks and fill in pre-existing micro-cracks, to help avoid fractures. Apple has a patent for this tech , so it's certainly at least something the company is toying with.

Plus, one report also suggests that Apple has two foldable iPhone designs
that have already passed durability tests. That doesn't mean this will be happening any sooner, but it's a good sign that Apple is on the right track. Foldable iPhone: five things wed like to see (Image credit: Future) 1. Top-tier cameras

Foldables bridge the gap between phones and tablets, but the ones weve seen released, like the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate Xs , have packed the best cameras featured on those brands other flagship phones.

While theres no reason to guess Apple wouldnt do the same, the tech giant hasnt bothered to upgrade the cameras on its iPads in generations. Given the iPhone SE 2020 didnt seem to improve on the lens of its predecessor, the iPhone 8 , we could see Apple save costs by opting to give its foldable
iPhone a single camera instead of the full suite seen in the iPhone 11 Pro
and 11 Pro Max . (Image credit: Future) 2. Apple Pencil support

One way Apple could surpass other foldables: introduce Apple Pencil support. While we expected Samsung to introduce stylus integration with its foldables, rumors have gone back and forth over whether the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 will pack an S Pen stylus (seen in the Galaxy Tab S6 and Galaxy Note 10 ).

Given how the Apple Pencil 2 attaches magnetically to the newest iPad Pro tablets, wed love to see how Apples styluses could be integrated with its foldable iPhone. (Image credit: Apple) 3. The old Apple polish

Yes, we'll say it: even though the first round of foldables have been impressive for simply pulling off folding screens, theyve come with design weaknesses, from hinge issues to cracking screens. Wed love to see a design that makes everything move smoothly and stand up to punishment.

Not that Apples lineup is unimpeachable, as crackable iPhone displays, malfunctioning butterfly keyboards , and battery -throttling on older iPhones have shown. But in looks and function, at least, Apple has maintained a reputation for sleek and functional design. (Image credit: Apple) 4. iPadOS integration

When iPadOS split off from iOS, we got excited for the possibilities of a new operating system forking off to truly take advantage of iPad screen real estate. Thus far, weve been pretty pleased with the multitasking features
that let us pull up multiple apps at the same time, which weve found personally handy in writing in Google docs while looking up stuff in Safari, for instance..

Wed love to see a version of the OS in the foldable iPhone for the same reasons, though of course, theres a lot of unknowns. Will the devices display be large enough to properly handle the iPadOS controls? If it expands to 7.9 inches, the size of the iPad Minis screen, it conceivably could be able to, but until we know what the foldable will look like, its unclear how good a
fit iPadOS will be. (Image credit: Future) 5. Strong battery life

Foldable phones like the Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X have had respectable battery life for first-generation devices, but wed like more in Apples take
on foldable phones. iPhones in general arent known for lasting longer than a day, and flagships from Samsung and Huawei pack larger-capacity (in sheer milliamp Hours) batteries that seem to take them past the one-day mark handily.

Wed like Apple to use the extra device space to keep its own foldable last longer than the competition. Best iPhone : the top Apple phones you can buy right now



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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/news/foldable-iphone/


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