Apple Has Sent Folding iPhones to Foxconn for Testing, According to Chinese Report

Apple has begun sending foldable iPhones to assembly partner Foxconn for testing purposes, with a projected release set for September 2022, claims a new Chinese report out today.

foldable iPhone concept
Citing supply chain sources, Economic Daily News says the testing involves evaluating the use of OLED or Micro-LED display technology, because the choice of either screen will affect the subsequent assembly methods.

Apple is also said to have asked Foxconn to evaluate the bearings (the folding component) of the devices with over 100,000 opening and closing tests. The report notes similar tests for regular laptops requires them to be opened and closed between 20,000 and 30,000 times.

The report offers no additional information on the design of the foldable device, but does note that Samsung will provide the panel for the screen, potentially corroborating rumors that Apple has ordered foldable display samples from the Korean company.

According to leaker Jon Prosser, Apple is working on a foldable iPhone prototype that features two separate display panels that are connected by a hinge rather than a single display like the Samsung Galaxy Fold.

Prosser says that the foldable ‌‌iPhone‌‌ has rounded, stainless steel edges similar to the ‌iPhone‌ 11 and no notch, but a "tiny forehead" on the outer display for Face ID.

Rumors about Apple working on a foldable ‌iPhone‌ date back to 2016, and there have been a number of foldable phone Apple patents, including one describing a device with two separate displays that could be brought together to create a single bendable device with a hinge. That said, foldable ‌iPhone‌ rumors offer no consensus on if or when such a device will come to market.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 8 New Features

Thursday January 9, 2025 5:45 am PST by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. iPhone 17 Pro concept based on rumors Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of January 2025: More aluminum: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models ...
HomePod mini and Apple TV

New Apple TV and HomePod Mini Launching This Year With One Thing in Common

Wednesday January 8, 2025 6:18 am PST by
It was recently reported that new Apple TV and new HomePod mini models will launch this year, and the devices are expected to have one thing in common. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last month reported that the new Apple TV and the new HomePod mini will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip. Gurman said the chip supports Wi-Fi 6E, so that could end up being a key upgrade...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

New iPhone SE and iPad 11 Launch Timing Allegedly Revealed by Leaker

Tuesday January 7, 2025 11:12 am PST by
A new iPhone SE and an iPad 11 might be coming very soon. In late December, a private account on X with a track record of leaking accurate iOS-related information said devices codenamed "V59" and "J481" will be released alongside iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has previously reported that "V59" is a new iPhone SE, and that "J481" is a new entry-level iPad. iOS 15.3, iOS ...
M6 MacBook Pro Feature 1

5 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's MacBook Pro

Wednesday January 8, 2025 6:33 am PST by
Apple in October 2024 overhauled its 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, adding M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, Thunderbolt 5 ports on higher-end models, display changes, and more. That's quite a lot of updates in one go, but if you think this means a further major refresh for the MacBook Pro is now several years away, think again. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said he expects only a small...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.2.1 With Bug Fixes

Monday January 6, 2025 10:07 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 18.2.1 and iPadOS 18.2.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems. iOS 18.2.1 and iPadOS 18.2.1 come almost a month after Apple released iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes, iOS 18.2.1...
airpods pro 2 botw

Hearing a Mysterious Chime From Your AirPods Pro Case? It's a Feature

Thursday January 9, 2025 3:42 pm PST by
If you've been hearing a chiming sound from your AirPods Pro 2 case when the AirPods are charging, it's a feature that Apple added with the launch of Hearing Health last year. In a support guide, Apple says that the AirPods Pro may play a sound every so often while in the case to ensure the microphones and speakers are working as intended. From Apple: To help ensure that your AirPods...
LG UltraFine 6K Display TB5

LG Unveils UltraFine 6K Display With Thunderbolt 5 Support

Tuesday January 7, 2025 3:56 am PST by
LG has shown off a new Ultrafine 6K monitor at CES 2025. The 32-inch display is the first of its kind to support Thunderbolt 5, which Apple introduced late last year with the launch of new Mac mini and MacBook Pro models powered by M4 Pro chips. Details are scant, but we do know that the LG UltraFine 6K monitor (model 32U990A) features a Nano IPS Black panel, delivering a wide color gamut...

Top Rated Comments

adamryan1983 Avatar
54 months ago
I think folding phones are one of those 'just because you can doesn't mean you should' types of technology.
Score: 82 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LeeW Avatar
54 months ago

100,000 opening and closing tests
It will need to go well beyond that based on the number of time I see my wife looking at her phone.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Piggie Avatar
54 months ago
The idea of a phone that turns in a small tablet I find very appealing.
I'm sure many people would agree.
It's just we don't really seem to have any technology out right now to make this a desirable item right now.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NewUsername Avatar
54 months ago
So if you unfold it, iOS becomes iPadOS?
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rmoliv Avatar
54 months ago
Folding phones are just a FAD. Drop it!
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dumastudetto Avatar
54 months ago
Take my money now, all $5,000 of it.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)