Apple has been working on its first foldable product for quite some time — but it won’t be an iPhone.This is according to Taiwanese supply chain sources, who told DigiTimes (via MacRumors) that this product has been in the works for quite some time. According to the outlet, the foldable Apple product is set to be a “larger device” than your run-of-the-mill iPhone, being closer in design to an iPad or a Macbook than a smartphone. 

These sources also claim that different design prototypes and ideas are converging, with mass production of the item reportedly being the next step. But what’s with the hold-up? Samsung released its first Galaxy folding phone back in 2019, meaning that even if we do get a foldable Apple device, it will be five years later than its main competitor.

Barriers to Apple’s development of foldable devices

Purportedly, the biggest barrier Apple is facing right now are the hinge mechanisms for foldable devices. The company is still trying to design a foldable design panel that meets its usual high standards in quality. And according to DigiTimes, rumors that Apple Vision Pro engineers have moved the foldable phones are true. But contrary to other rumors, the company has not put a pause on its work on foldable products. Instead, it is being claimed that Apple now has multiple departments dedicated to different foldable products.

But don’t expect to see them anytime soon — the report added that we won’t be seeing any of these devices launching before 2025. Still, we shouldn’t give up hope on the release of an Apple flip phone just yet. We know that Apple has, in the past, been granted a patent for a multi-layered flip phone for a crack-resistant protective screen layer structure not just for smartphones, but for other foldable devices like tablets and laptops.

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