Apple has begun to explore a foldable iPhone screen, although the plan is very early for now and not even a fully working prototype is on the table. Or so, one study notes that Apple is checking out foldable and flexible screens that it can include in the future on the iPhone.
As the plan to put a foldable screen on the iPhone is at a very early stage, Bloomberg’s report notes that it is not for the 2021 iPhone. Instead, Apple will add only minor modifications to the upcoming iPhone 13 for 2021, which will be launched in September or October this year.
Apple switched to a new design language last year, with smooth edges and boxy looks, with the iPhone 12. With the iPhone 13, this same style is likely to be used. Bloomberg notes that the biggest change to the iPhone 13 is likely to be the addition of a fingerprint sensor under the display. On display, top Android phones such as the OnePlus 8 Pro already use a fingerprint sensor. Apple has relied on its excellent Face ID for user authentication after it chose to delete the TouchID. However, the FaceID limitations became evident in 2020 when people used phones while wearing masks.
Apple is likely to have a fingerprint sensor under the monitor of the iPhone 13 to fix the inconvenience.
Foldable phones are also fresh and evolving. Samsung has created two products, Fold and Fold 2, although both are work-in-progress products, and a standard phone is still a better bet for most customers. LG has already expressed its intention this year to introduce a rollable phone by the end of this year, and we saw a prototype Xiaomi phone with a foldable phone leaked on the web only a few days ago. With major smartphone companies looking at foldable displays, Apple also seems to be investigating how a flexible or foldable screen can be used in its top-selling product.
But it is unlikely to happen before 2022 or even 2023 or 2024, even if Apple decides to move to foldable iPhone screens. In the past, we have seen that Apple often only moves to new technology when it is certain that the technology is ready for regular use and that the product is enhanced. Phones with foldable screens are currently no better than a standard high-end phone.
The iPhone 13 is likely to come with only minor changes compared to the iPhone 12, aside from the in-display fingerprint sensor. This means it is likely to have a similar design, similar display size, similar cameras although it may gain a telephoto lens like Pro iPhones and similar connectivity options.
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