According to supply chain reports, Apple’s long-term assembly partner Foxconn is testing a foldable iPhone for Apple and the device might start shipping in September 2022.
It is said to be actively in discussions with material suppliers from Taiwan – Hon Hai and Nippon Nippon – for the foldable iPhone. Hon Hai is reported to be one of Apple’s largest foundry for iPhones. The report suggests that Apple’s first foldable phone may use OLED or MicroLED screen technology and the display panel will be sourced from Samsung.
Nippon Nippon will also procure bearings for the foldable iPhone, and Apple will heavily rely on the research and development done by the Taiwanese company for the foldable hinge. The phone requires rigorous folding tests, and past foldable phones have been tested for about 1,00,000 times for durability. New Nikko, as mentioned, will mass produce these bearings.
As per China’s United Daily News, Apple has “asked Foxconn to test the screen, and also the bearings of a folding iPhone device”. The bearings are the actual folding element of the device and will reportedly come from multiple suppliers, however, the final assembly is to be handled by Foxconn.
Other reports have speculated that a folding iPhone might be years away, but current information from “unnamed supply chain sources” claims that Apple might release the first foldable iPhone by September 2022.
According to sources, the foldable iPhone is going to be a two-screen device much like the Microsoft Surface Duo. This isn’t the first time that we’re hearing about Apple’s foldable phone. In February, Apple patented a new hinge design for a foldable phone. The patent suggests that Apple looks to build a unique hinge design that enables sufficient space between the two displays for the flexible screen to retract into, when folded. This space created in between the hinge allows the display to stay in a curved state to prevent any crease or tension. The hinge uses movable flaps to achieve this.
