Two foldable iPhone prototypes pass internal durability tests

Samsung and some other smartphone makers have already carved their names when it comes to launching foldable smartphones. Samsung’s upgraded Galaxy Z Fold 2 is one of the best on the market right now and its competition is very limited at this point. Apple, on the other hand, is lagging behind in the segment. However, it looks like Apple is looking to introduce its own foldable iPhone. According to the latest version, two foldable iPhone prototypes have passed internal durability tests.

Two foldable iPhone prototypes passed internal durability test, both with different mechanism

Apple has reportedly completed testing of its own foldable iPhones with a hinge mechanism. The two foldable iPhone prototypes passed durability tests at the Foxconn factory in Shenzhen, China. The news was shared by a Taiwanese website Daily economic news. The first foldable iPhone to be tested is a dual screen model. The model will hold two separate displays connected via a hinge in the middle. Earlier in June 2020, Jon Prosser shared similar news and coined that the screens look “pretty continuous and transparent.

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We also saw a similar patent from Apple that featured a device with two separate screens attached to a hinge. Now, the tested prototype looks like it enough. The panels can be put together to create a single collapsible device. While not the foldable iPhone we had in mind with a flexible panel, the prototype is called the foldable iPhone.

The second foldable iPhone prototype features a clamshell design much like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip or Lenovo’s Moto RAZR. Unlike the previous prototype, the clamshell iPhone prototype will feature a Samsung flexible OLED panel. Older reports said Apple ordered a large number of foldable displays from Samsung earlier in 2020.

At this point, it’s unclear which mechanism the hinges will use or whether the two foldable iPhone prototypes feature the same mechanism. The prototypes tested are not real smartphones with internal components, but more cases with little or no internal components. Prototypes are only designed to test the durability of the hinge system. Apple has yet to assess which one it will proceed with. Note that Apple will only pursue one and push it to development. One of Jon Prosser’s latest videos also said that both prototypes have passed durability tests.

It would not be wrong to anticipate a foldable iPhone in the future, given the number of patents filed by Apple for this technology. However, take note that no release date is mentioned. However, UDN predicted that the foldable iPhone wouldn’t arrive until 2022 or 2023. We’ll share more details on that, so be sure to stick around. Would you also like to see a foldable iPhone? Which prototype design do you prefer over the other? Let us know in the comments.