Aside from the hybrid iPad with macOS , Apple is also reportedly working with LG on foldable OLED panels. The foldable technology is unlikely to make it into the next generation of iPads or iPhones . But upcoming OLED displays produced for Apple could offer a distinct advantage.
- Apparently Apple is developing foldable OLED displays.
- Apple could equip its foldable devices with thinner screens.
- A foldable iPhone or iPad could still be years away from being ready for series production.
A new report from TheElec suggests that Apple is already working on flexible and foldable OLED screens. Just like the panel of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 , Apple’s new screens will also do without polarizers. Eliminating the polarizer in a display allows for an overall thinner device in exchange for lower peak brightness – and therefore reduced visibility in sunlight.
Samsung has solved the problem with its current foldable devices with its special “Eco Square” technology. However, Apple could take a different approach: one possible scenario is to use ultra-thin glass covers instead of the polyimide material used in the first foldable panels.
Foldable iPads, iPhones and MacBooks
Apple has been filing patents on foldable and modular devices for some time. So it wouldn’t be a surprise if these foldable displays show up in a future iPad or iPhone at some point. That probably won’t happen before 2025, though. Apple could first unveil a foldable tablet the size of a MacBook and an iPad, reports TheElec.
Although there are already plans that Apple could launch a foldable smartphone similar to the Vivo X Fold or Oppo Find N in the future, the company wants to focus on devices with larger form factors. Apple is expected to release a notch-free iPhone first before committing to a foldable device.
At this point we step on the euphoria brakes a little. Neither pending patents nor the production of flexible displays have to point directly to a foldable iPhone. So there will probably not be an iPhone 14 Fold this year.
Do you think Apple is already late for the foldables party? Or do you think foldable cell phones are a gimmick anyway? Do let us know your thoughts on this.
