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The smartphone market is increasingly becoming saturated with foldable handsets. While Samsung, Google, Xiaomi, and Motorola have launched their versions, Apple’s rumored iPhone Flip remains conspicuous by its absence.
Samsung’s recent commitment to supporting its Galaxy Z Fold series for seven years is the clearest indication yet that the foldable niche will remain well into the 2030s.
Historically, Apple‘s wait-and-see strategy has allowed the company to avoid early adopter pitfalls and deliver a more refined product. But it can no longer afford to ignore the foldable phone niche. It is why analysts see an iPhone Flip release date coming sooner rather than later.
Here are the latest rumors about the iPhone Flip, including the intriguing possibility of a ‘self-healing’ screen and its implications for the future of foldable iPhones.
What is the iPhone Flip Phone?
Apple’s Rumored New Folding Smartphones
Apple is believed to be working on two sizes of foldable iPhones, including the new iPhone Flip model, featuring a clamshell design similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and the Motorola Razr Plus.
However, Apple has faced significant challenges in achieving the desired thinness and ensuring the displays are visible when folded.
This pursuit of perfection has reportedly delayed the development process, with Apple also exploring the possibility of a folding tablet around the size of an iPad Mini.
While still in the early stages of development, the iPhone Flip signals a significant design shift for Apple, which has traditionally taken a cautious approach to adopting new technologies.
Is a New iPhone Flip Coming Out?
As we explore below, rumors and leaks suggest that Apple is developing a foldable iPhone, dubbed the ‘iPhone Flip.’
Despite the excitement, Apple has yet to confirm such a device’s development publicly, but leaks, including a patent filed by Apple depicting a foldable phone, have surfaced online, fueling further speculation.
When Will a New iPhone Flip Come Out?
Expected Release: 2025 – 2027
Haitong analyst Jeff Pu suggests an Apple foldable of some type is coming in 2025, while Trendforce suggests 2027 is the year for a folding iPhone, citing Apple’s supply chain hints.
With rumors of Apple working on a foldable iPhone, iPad, and even a Macbook Pro, the scene could be set for 2025 when Apple goes all in on foldable devices.
This may well be a foldable iPad, followed by a Samsung-like Fold or Flip approach in 2026. The device will likely be aimed, according to Pu, at the ‘ultra high-end market’. So start saving your pennies.
We optimistically expect 2025, but we’ll need to wait for supply chain leaks to lead the way.
For now, 2024 is about bringing artificial intelligence to the iPhone 16 and the entire Apple ecosystem.
iPhone Flip Features
Expected Features: 8” Display, e-Ink on the Outside?
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested that the first foldable iPhone could sport a massive 8-inch display, outshining even the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
A fan-nade concept trailer explores this idea in more detail:
Meanwhile, other reports hint at Apple collaborating with LG on a 7.5-inch OLED foldable display, and there’s even talk of a 9-inch model in testing, which would be the most giant foldable screen on the market.
One of the most fascinating potential features of the iPhone Flip is a self-preserving mechanism, as detailed in a recent patent. This technology would enable the hinge to close mid-drop, protecting the screen from damage. Additionally, Apple is exploring using color e-ink displays for the exterior, which would help conserve battery life.
iPhone Flip Specs
Self-Healing Screens on the Horizon
Early reports suggest Apple is experimenting with multiple prototypes. The company aims to make the phone half as thin as current iPhones to avoid bulkiness.
Standard colors like Space Gray and Silver are expected, along with the usual high-end specifications, including 5G support, robust battery life, and powerful processing capabilities to handle the demands of a foldable, multitasking device.
One Apple patent stands out: the self-healing screen, with which your iPhone Flip could repair itself — erasing scratches and dents without any intervention.
This ‘self-healing’ concept promises to restore minor imperfections autonomously, employing external triggers like heat, light, or electric current to expedite healing.
Apple won 57 Patents this week covering a Flip-Styled iPhone and the Apple Watch Digital Crown for measuring ECG & more https://t.co/nKDf2AUai3 pic.twitter.com/dQP5o33n2d
— Patently Apple (@PatentlyApple) January 12, 2023
The unique proposition incorporates a transparent conductor heating layer; the screen can activate its self-healing properties whenever needed.
The Apple patent, released in May 2024 (PDF), also hints at a device with a screen that spans a flexible hinge, ensuring the display remains intact and functional even after repeated folding.
Combining a self-healing surface with an elastomer base, this dual-layer protection could usher in a new era of durable, flexible electronics, including the iPhone Flip.
iPhone Flip Software
Samsung has had success with software for different screen sizes, from multi-windows to software customized to take advantage of ‘two screens’, let alone Samsung Dex for large tablets or external monitors.
With Apple announcing split-screen multitasking support at WWDC 2024, the scene is set for a new approach: perhaps Apple is already laying the groundwork for the next generation of iPhones and iPads, where one app on your screen at any time begins to feel distinctly old-school.
As Android has proved over a long journey, when apps are re-engineered to accommodate flexible dimensions, the world opens up on the hardware side.
Why Apple Should Release an iPhone Flip Phone
Despite the ongoing war of words between Apple and Android fans, it’s hard to ignore that all candybar phones have converged to look remarkably similar, boasting nearly identical features.
Foldable phones initially offered a breath of fresh air despite early concerns about creases, wear and tear, and the potential for the niche to fail.
However, foldable phones have since captured the public’s imagination, with many seeing them as a way to showcase their individuality.
The fact that Apple is not part of this conversation is something that the tech giant may want to rectify to remain relevant, with their audience wanting more than just another iPhone with a slightly bigger battery, screen, and better camera.
Ironically, when Apple inevitably releases its flip iPhone, we may face a lineup of near-identical devices again.
That said, a 2023 Apple patent could suggest a rollable iPhone is on the way. Let’s not roll out the red carpet until we see more signs of this coming into reality, but for the moment we can dream of a Futurama-like future.
iPhone Flip Price
Estimated Price: $1,000-$2,000
The anticipated price of the iPhone Flip is a challenging figure to pin down, primarily due to the scarcity of specific pricing rumors and the variable design choices Apple might adopt.
Drawing parallels from the Galaxy Fold’s initial $1,980 price tag and the more recent $999 Galaxy Z Flip, the cost of Apple’s foldable could vary significantly based on its design and features.
If Apple opts for a compact, clamshell design, the iPhone Flip might be priced closer to premium models like the $1,199 iPhone 15 Pro Max.
However, a larger, tablet-like foldable iPhone could exceed $2,000, with one price leak suggesting a staggering $2,500. Despite the seemingly obscene price, Apple fans are known for their brand loyalty and willingness to pay almost anything for the latest innovations from Cupertino.
The Bottom Line
As the foldable smartphone market expands, Apple’s heavily rumored iPhone Flip is a highly anticipated yet elusive entry. With Samsung’s commitment to long-term support for its foldable devices, Apple is under pressure to deliver a competing foldable smartphone.
Despite delays and rumored development challenges of the iPhone Flip, the prospect of a self-healing screen is helping to build momentum. But will it be enough to tempt Apple fans away from their traditional candy bar design to a new era of foldable innovation?
