After many years of idle speculation, countless rumored delays, and a somewhat inexplicable general indecision to join a market segment full of promise, Apple's first-ever foldable device may finally be inching closer to an actual commercial release.
Contrary to certain gossip from the last couple of years, this is now expected to go up against book-style handsets like Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Google's Pixel 9 Pro Fold rather than try to replace the biggest tablets and laptops out there with a foldable screen of well over 15 inches. And speaking of display sizes, a new report is today mentioning numbers (or rather ranges) for the first time, painting the "iPhone Fold" a pretty unconventional picture.
One big screen and an unusually small cover display
While it is still most likely way too early to know exactly how Apple's rookie foldable effort will look, a primary display of between 7.6 and 7.9 inches could put it more or less on par with either the Z Fold 6 or Pixel 9 Pro Fold from that particular standpoint.
Samsung's latest and greatest book-style foldable, mind you, sports a main 7.6-inch panel and a 6.3-inch secondary display, while the Z Fold 6's new Google-made rival comes with an extra-large 8-inch foldable screen and a pretty much identical 6.3-inch cover display.
The iPhone Fold is unlikely to rival the size of the Z Fold 6's cover screen. | Image Credit -- PhoneArena
Curiously enough, Apple is currently predicted to go with a secondary screen diagonal of 5.3 to 5.5 inches for its first foldable iPhone, which sounds like a potentially significant and hard-to-justify compromise for a late joiner of an already crowded and intensely competitive market.
There aren't a lot of book-style foldables with such tiny cover screens in the spotlight today, and even the 2023-released Google Pixel Fold came with a 5.8-inch secondary panel in addition to a 7.6-inch primary screen.
For what it's worth, the first-gen iPhone Fold (whose name is obviously not etched in stone yet) is rumored to support a wider aspect ratio "compared to Samsung's Z Fold" family, and with the help of undoubtedly ultra-advanced LTPO, CoE, and UTG technologies, Apple could well offset that screen real estate disadvantage to provide an unrivaled overall user experience.
Unsurprisingly, Samsung is expected to solely handle display manufacturing for the product that's "80% confirmed" to see daylight in 2026 according to a prolific and increasingly reliable social media leaker. Further down the road, BOE could take on some of those responsibilities, at least if foldable iPhones take off as many analysts seem to currently anticipate.
What about Apple's first foldable iPad?
According to the same X tipster and a financial services firm called Meritz Securities, a gargantuan foldable iPad with an almost 19-inch screen is also in the cards, but unlikely to actually be released very soon.
That's mainly because Apple's latest (conventional) high-end iPad Pros with OLED screens are not meeting their original sales expectations, which is understandably making the tech giant fear that a foldable iPad with an 18.8-inch display and a fittingly extravagant price point could be met with low enthusiasm (to say the least) by consumers around the world.
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The underwhelming sales of the iPad Pro 2024 are reportedly delaying Apple's foldable iPad plans. | Image Credit -- PhoneArena
Said 18.8-inch foldable panel is likely to be supplied by LG rather than Samsung or BOE, and whenever this potentially groundbreaking device will end up seeing daylight, its initial production volumes are all but guaranteed to be "limited."
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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