Foldable iPhone Flip / Fold release date estimate, design & specs

Will Apple release a foldable iPhone? And when?

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Rumors that Apple could enter the foldable phone market are surfacing, so we check out the possibility of a foldable iPhone Flip release date. We’ve made our way past WWDC this year, which showcased a ton of new tech – most notably their Vision Pro headset. However, nothing on any iPhones just yet, with the latest iPhone 15 line up due this September. iOS 17 was announced, but nothing regarding a foldable iPhone has gone official just yet. Reports do say that they are working on their first foldable product.

Luckily though, we can look to the current rumors and speculation surrounding the possible upcoming foldable iPhone. Whether that be the iPhone Flip or iPhone Fold – or any other name – remains to be seem. Let’s take a deep dive into what we know about the foldable iPhone release date, specs, and price at the moment.

Foldable iPhone release date estimate

We’ve seen a trend of foldable phones in recent years – including Google Pixel Fold and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5. One big name in the industry yet to jump on the trend though is Apple. As for the foldable iPhone release date, modest estimations place it sometime during 2025. Other outlets are predicting 2024, but we’ll stick with a 2025 launch at the earliest, which is something Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has mentioned.

Apple’s iPhone range is massively popular, so the fact that we may so a foldable edition in future is an exciting prospect. However, there is still some time to wait before we’ll be able to get our hands on an iPhone foldable. Rumors of a foldable Apple device or smartphone first arrived when patents for a foldable iPhone showed up back in 2016, detailing a flip fold design. That was followed up by a patents in 2019 and 2020 which helped accelerate rumors. However, now in 2024, there is yet to be any official reveal of such a device.

Foldable iPhone specs (rumored)

When it comes to the specs of the foldable iPhone, there are plenty of rumors circulating the web. Many of these are thanks to the number of Apple patents which surfaced for a foldable device, likely to be an iPhone. As for the specific specs, it’s hard to know where Apple will take the device. Many patents are focused on the design and build of the upcoming iPhone Flip / iPhone Fold, instead of details like screen resolution, cameras or specific features.

Display

Display is obviously an important part of any phone, perhaps even more so the a foldable iPhone. Rumors are quite split, with some pointing towards a ‘true folding’ display, though others expect to see a hinge in between two screens. You can see that TechRadar spotted multiple designs on show for either an iPhone or iPad tablet some years ago now.

As for the screen size, early rumors claim that we could be seeing a sizeable 8-inch display, which would be almost the size of an iPad mini. However, another report says that they could be working alongside LG to develop a foldable OLED display panel at 7.5″ – which would presumably feature in an upcoming iPhone Flip or Fold.

Another aspect of display rumored is inclusion of a color e-ink display, as Tom’s Guide reports. This comes courtesy of well-known leaker Ming-Chi Kuo in this tweet. It reveals that Apple are testing an Electronic Paper Display (EPD) for future foldable devices. This is a power saving solution that can help keep power consumption (and battery usage) to a minimum.

Foldable design

As for the kind of fold we’re getting from the foldable iPhone, it’s a little up in the air at the minute. You can find reference to both the iPhone Flip and iPhone Fold – so it’s yet to be confirmed whether a book fold or clamshell design is preferred. Foldable smartphones are designed in one of these two ways. So far though, concepts have revealed that Apple have stuck to a horizontal fold – much like other ‘Flip’ devices – this could be subject to change though.

Durability

Once such patent in 2020 suggests that the so-called iPhone Flip will feature a strengthen display, meaning an upgrade to the current iPhone ceramic shield. This is much needed in a foldable phone, especially since Apple like to focus on durability and safety features in their iPhones. Other brands over the years have suffered from screen damages due the screen folding, hinges, or even cold temperature. This led to Apple filing a patent in 2019 for a display which controls heat levels, according to MacRumors.

Foldable iPhone price (predicted)

Predicting the price is a tough task. We first thing we should point out is that you can expect it to be expensive. The current iPhone line up already sees the price reaching over the $1000 mark, and foldable phones go beyond that price tag. For example, Google’s Pixel Fold launch price sits as $1,799 – compared to the $899 of the flagship Pixel 7 Pro right now.

With that in mind, you can expect to see foldable iPhone to reach a much higher price than something like the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which launched at $1,099. Also bear in mind that this will be the first foldable iPhone, so it’s hard to compare it to any other Apple product right now. We predict that the price will reach closer to $2,000, or even beyond it. Some estimates go for $2,500.

Foldable iPhone (iPhone Flip / Fold) FAQs

Is Apple making a foldable iPhone?

Yes, current rumors suggest that Apple are developing a foldable iPhone. Much is still unknown about this device, but patents and supposed prototypes reveal that it is in the works at the very least.

Will iPhone 15 have a foldable phone?

It’s unlikely that we’ll see a foldable phone as part of the iPhone 15 line up. There are currently no expectations for Apple to release a foldable device in 2024 – instead we’ll have to wait until 2025 or 2024 at the earliest.

Foldable iPhone release date, specs, price (iPhone Flip / Fold) : Final word

That covers everything we know about the upcoming foldable iPhone release date, specs, & price. There are plenty of rumors out there, especially since Apple patents for a foldable phone design have been revealed over the years. We’re going to keep you updated with the latest foldable iPhone news as soon as new information arrives. Early patents and rumored prototypes have gone a long way to help learn about this unique flexible display iPhone.

In the meantime, be sure to check out our other Apple articles – especially since WWDC this year has been a big showing from the industry giant. Plenty of new reveals and upcoming devices to look forward to in 2024 alone.