iPhone Fold will push longer battery life and a less visible crease as reasons to pay more
The foldable iPhone appears to be no longer a dream as Apple is expected to start mass production of a foldable iPhone along with a foldable MacBook late this year. Both devices are then expected to be released sometime in late 2026, or early 2027. Apple is expected to release a book-style foldable iPhone that opens and closes around a vertical axis similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold models.
Apple has been hoping to differentiate itself from the competition in what is becoming a crowded market by eliminating the ugly crease that appears on the internal screen at the spot where the screen folds. Reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said that Apple is planning to use a liquid metal hinge on the phone which would check two boxes that Apple has wanted to fill in. The liquid metal hinge makes the device more durable and could make the crease harder to see.
The tech giant has worked hard to make a foldable iPhone more durable and has looked at many ways to reduce the visibility of the crease. Using the liquid metal hinge would make the internal main display flatter when unfolded which will help reduce the crease marks. The liquid metal hinge is made from liquid metal using a die-casting process. Apple has used this technology before on small components such as SIM ejector pins. Using it to build the hinge on the foldable iPhone is obviously a much larger and more important use of the technology.
Apple also hopes to differentiate the foldable iPhone from the competition by prioritizing battery life. This comes from tech leaker Yeux1122 who says that Apple will use an improved display driver IC (DDI) which will not only control the pixels on the display but will also allow the use of thinner panel assemblies while reducing power consumption and heat output.
The foldable iPhone is expected to sport a 7.8-inch internal display with a 5.5-inch cover display and will have iOS pre-installed. The foldable MacBook could feature an 18.8-inch display and will run macOS.
Apple waited years to develop a foldable iPhone just to make sure it could be competitive in the space. If all of the rumors are true, the iPhone Fold (just a placeholder name for now) will be more durable and could be equipped with a display that doesn't allow the crease to stand out as much. Toss in longer battery life and Apple could have a winner with the first foldable iPhone.
But there is one last box that Apple might not be able to check and this very important box would read pricing parity. With the Galaxy Z Fold 6 priced at $1,900 and up, most analysts believe that the iPhone Fold will be priced anywhere between $2,000 and $2,500.
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