Apple Tipped to Be Working on Clamshell-Like Foldable iPhone, May Arrive in 2022 or 2023

Apple has reportedly begun testing the design of a clamshell-like iPhone at a Foxconn factory in Shenzhen, China.

By Tasneem Akolawala | Updated: 29 December 2020 13:32 IST

Highlights

The iPhone flip-like design is identical to Samsung Galaxy Z Flip
Apple was reported to also be working on a book-like foldable iPhone
Apple was reported to also be working on a book-like foldable iPhone

Apple Tipped to Be Working on Clamshell-Like Foldable iPhone, May Arrive in 2022 or 2023

The folding iPhone may have a smaller secondary outer display

Photo Credit: YouTube/Front Page Tech

Apple is reportedly working on a clamshell-like folding iPhone to launch in the future. The handset will have a similar design as Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G. The latest leak claims that the vague timeline for the launch of Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to be somewhere in 2022 or 2023. This falls in line with previous reports that suggest that Apple will introduce its first folding iPhone in September 2022, and not next year. The folding iPhone is expected to come with 5G support.

YouTuber Jon Prosser, in his latest video, says that Apple is indeed working on bringing a foldable iPhone model in the future. The work is still in its early stage, and the company is reportedly testing the shell of a clamshell-like iPhone at a Foxconn factory in Shenzhen, China. Prosser shared a concept image of the folding iPhone, suggesting that it may have a flip-like design, identical to Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. This rumoured iPhone is said to flip open and reveal a big display, whereas there will be a smaller display in the outer shell as well.

This concept phone is designed just to offer the viewers a vague idea of what Apple may be going for and isn't any indication of what the first foldable iPhone may look like. In any event, Prosser claims that Apple may introduce this handset sometime in 2022 or even in 2023.

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Apart from this, he also shares that his sources have no information about the rumoured Apple Car yet. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently reported that the market is ‘too bullish' about the Apple Car, and it should not be expected before 2028 or even later. There was a sketchy report released recently that claimed Apple was releasing an Apple Car in September 2021.

Coming back to foldable phones, Samsung and Motorola are currently the only two companies to offer such handsets in the market. Several OEMs have unveiled concept renders of rollable phones but haven't started selling foldable phones to the masses. With Apple reportedly entering this space in the future, it may push other OEMs to enter the foldable phone segment as well.

Will iPhone 12 mini become the affordable iPhone we've been waiting for? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.

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