Apple prototyping foldable iPhone screens

According to Bloomberg, Apple has started work on a foldable phone, and it’s begun prototyping foldable screens internally. A final device is likely still years away, the report says, and Apple is working on just the display for now — not the rest of the phone it would attach to.

The initial prototypes sound similar to the foldable screens we’ve seen used by Samsung, Motorola, and others. Bloomberg says Apple is looking at making foldable screens with a “mostly invisible hinge” that could unfold to around the iPhone 12 Pro Max size. The report says that several screen sizes are being discussed, however.

Apple hasn’t publicly indicated any interest in making a foldable phone, though the company rarely signals its interest before entering a new product category. Major competitors have a head start on foldable devices, with Samsung and Motorola already releasing multiple generations of folding phones. Samsung’s Galaxy Fold came out in April 2019 (albeit with some substantial issues).

On a more immediate note, Bloomberg has some updates on Apple products coming in 2021. This year’s iPhone is expected to have “minor upgrades,” but one more substantial improvement is still a possibility: an in-screen fingerprint sensor. Bloomberg already said back in 2019 that Apple was looking into the feature for as early as 2020. It’d be an obvious addition in 2021 since the wide adoption of face masks has seriously hindered the ability to use Face ID.