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After a few years of speculation through patent filings and sample orders, HYPEBEAST ZH reported that two prototypes for a foldable iPhone have passed Apple’s internal durability test.
According to reports published by Economic Daily News, these two models were recently manufactured at the Foxconn factory in Shenzhen, China. The first of these would be a dual-screen model, which is in line with Jon Prosser’s prediction / leak – as of July 2020: “The current prototype has two separate display panels on a hinge. Round stainless steel edges like the current iPhone 11 design. No notch – small front on the outer screen that houses Face ID, ”sound tweet reads. This rumored design is also consistent with Apple’s own moves: the company filed for a patent for “electronic devices with flexible screens and hinges” in February 2020.
The second prototype, à la Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, is a flip-flop. HYPEBEAST ZH says this model will be “tuned to” the foldable screen samples Apple allegedly ordered from Samsung in September 2020, according to Apple’s “Ice Universe” leaker.
Rumors about the tests themselves have also surfaced in recent months. In November, news broke that Apple had sent in an iPhone for a series of more than 100,000 bearing tests to assess its hinge mechanism. These new reports don’t spell out the differences between the hinge mechanisms of these two prototypes, but it’s likely Apple took this time to see what withstands the pressure of countless “open” and “close”.
However, Apple’s recent patent filings for a “self-healing” display anticipate a few obstacles in the road for its devices – and perhaps signal lessons learned from Samsung’s durability issues with the Galaxy Fold.
Although it is initially hoped that 2021 could be the year, Apple’s foldable iPhone probably won’t be available until 2022 or 2023, according to these latest reports. But a 12.9-inch iPad Pro mini-LED could arrive in early 2021.
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