Apple Said to Be Working on Foldable Device Larger than iPhone

Apple is reportedly deciding on the design of its foldable device that could arrive as a laptop or tablet.

Written by David Delima | Updated: 24 February 2024 19:51 IST

Apple Said to Be Working on Foldable Device Larger than iPhone

Photo Credit: Reuters

Apple may eventually compete with Samsung, Huawei and other foldable manufacturers

Highlights

Apple said to have been working on a foldable device for five years
The device could have a display that is larger than a smartphone
Apple is yet to announce plans to enter the foldable device segment

Apple is working on the development of a foldable device that could be larger than a smartphone, according to a report. The purported foldable device could arrive in the form of a notebook or a tablet, according to a DigiTimes report that cites Taiwan-based supply chain sources. The iPhone maker is said to have been working on a folding device for at least half a decade and is expected to decide on the design of the device before the company begins manufacturing.

According to the report (via MacRumors), the Cupertino company is working on a "larger device" hat could arrive in the form of the aforementioned devices, instead of a foldable iPhone. In order to do so, the company has reportedly tasked engineers from the Vision Pro team with the development of components for the foldable device, including the hinge.

If Apple does release a foldable device in the coming years — the report says a launch before 2025 is unlikely — it is likely to compete with products from Samsung, Oppo, Google, Huawei, and Xiaomi. These are just some of the firms that already offer foldable devices that can currently be purchased by consumers.

Samsung Wins Patent for a Tri-Fold Smartphone With Specialised Barrier Layer for Improved Durability

Earlier this month, Chinese tipster 'Fixed Focus Digital' (translated from Chinese) claimed that Apple had suspended the development of a device with a foldable screen due to a screen test that did not offer satisfactory results, and that the iPhone maker had bought several competitors foldable smartphones to dismantle them, while "speeding up the research and development" process.

The report contradicts this claim, stating that the work on a foldable phone has not been suspended and the company is working on more than one foldable device, with different departments tasked with developing each product. Apple is yet to announce any plans to launch a foldable smartphone in the coming months — or years.

Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Further reading: Apple, Foldables, iPhone

David Delima

Email David Delima

As a writer on technology with Gadgets 360, David Delima is interested in open-source technology, cybersecurity, consumer privacy, and loves to read and write about how the Internet works. David can be contacted via email at DavidD@ndtv.com, on Twitter at @DxDavey, and Mastodon at mstdn.social/@delima. More