According to a team of analysts from Bank of America Merrill Lynch (and picked up by CNBC), it appears that the second biggest phone maker in the face of the planet has plans to introduce a foldable iPhone by the end of the decade. Rumors of Apple releasing a folding iPhone are nothing new, but this time around, the report is citing sources that include a number of the company’s partner suppliers.
We already basically have a clear idea of how a foldable smartphone might work in real life. Some may remember that back in October of last year, ZTE had formally unveiled the Axon M, a handset that can fold out to form a sort of mini tablet (delivering a total display real estate of 6.8 inches). It is quite possible that Apple’s foldable iPhone will employ a similar approach in terms of design -- the single screen could easily double in size in order to transform instantly into an iPad, so to speak.
It goes without saying that foldable smartphones in the market should get fans of mobile technology a bit excited, to say the least. In the past several years, we have already seen various innovations in the field of phone making, including handset displays that curve to the side, and just a few months ago, a screen that can serve as the fingerprint sensor itself. Foldable devices should similarly wow consumers everywhere, and the great thing about this is that we are only beginning to see how folding displays can be put to good use, whether in consuming multimedia content (movies and TV shows), playing games, launching apps, or even utilizing productivity tools. No doubt about it, those are really cool stuff -- now imagine them all combined with Apple’s gifts for technical wizardry and just knowing what to do to make things easier). Pretty exciting times, huh?
And Apple is not the only global brand in mobile that is exploring the concept of foldable devices. The number one smartphone manufacturer in the world, Samsung, is also toying with the idea, and later this year, we could see a foldable Galaxy offering hitting the market. Huawei, the third biggest phone maker next to Samsung and Apple, is reportedly also looking to join in on the foldable phone party. Amidst all the excitement, it might be easy to forget that 2020 actually is still a couple of years away. Oh well, we will all just have to exercise some bit of patience.
