The ‘iPhone Flip’ could be coming your way soon
But it's taking so flippin' long.
There’s a rumour a foldable iPhone may be released in 2025.
Dubbed by tech fans as the ‘iPhone Flip’, the concept of this new device has caused much speculation over the years, as other companies roll out their foldable devices.
Samsung led the game with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold, with other companies such as Google releasing the Google Pixel Fold and Motorola coming out with the Motorola Razr+.
However, even though Apple releases a new iPhone each year, there has been no public confirmation of a foldable device – although the company did file a patent with one image showing a foldable phone or tablet.
The images for that patent have now surfaced online, adding to speculation that the ‘iPhone Flip’ is underway – although it’s unlikely that will be among the mystery devices being announced on Tuesday, May 7 at the company’s Let Losse event.
Back in February, Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst known as a reliable source for Apple tech news, said a foldable Apple phone could appear in 2025, after revising an earlier prediction the device would be released in 2024.
But this is where things get interesting.
In 2022, analyst firm CCS Insight predicted Apple would begin experimenting with foldable technology soon, but suggested that the world may not see a foldable iPhone first. Instead, it thought a foldable tablet would be more likely.
Speaking to CNBC, CCS Insight chief of research Ben Wood said: ‘Right now it doesn’t make sense for Apple to make a foldable iPhone. We think they will shun that trend and probably dip a toe in the water with a foldable iPad.
‘A folding iPhone will be super high-risk for Apple. It would have to be incredibly expensive in order to not cannibalise the existing iPhones.’
He suggested that a foldable iPhone would need to cost somewhere in the region of £2,000, and noted that if there were any technical issues, there would be a ‘feeding frenzy’ of criticism.
This prediction was also shared by Samsung, which predicted in 2022 that Apple would be releasing a foldable iPad sometime in 2024 – before it releases a smartphone.
But who knows? We’re still yet to hear from Apple themselves on their next move.
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