According to reports, Apple is developing a foldable device that may be larger than a smartphone. According to DigiTimes, the reported foldable device could take the form of a notebook or tablet. The iPhone maker is claimed to have been working on a folding device for at least a half-decade and is anticipated to finalise the design before beginning production.
According to the source (via MacRumors), the Cupertino company is working on a “larger device” that could take the form of the aforementioned products, rather than a foldable iPhone. The company has reportedly assigned engineers from the Vision Pro team with developing foldable gadget components, including the hinge.
If Apple does produce a foldable gadget in the future — a launch before 2025 is doubtful, according to the report — it will most likely compete with products from Samsung, Oppo, Google, Huawei, and Xiaomi. These are only a few of the companies that now provide foldable gadgets for purchase by consumers.
Earlier this month, Chinese tipster ‘Fixed Focus Digital’ (translated from Chinese) claimed that Apple had halted development of a device with a foldable screen due to a screen test that did not yield satisfactory results, and that the iPhone maker had purchased several competitors’ foldable smartphones to dismantle them, while “speeding up the research and development” process.
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The report contradicts this claim, noting that work on a foldable phone has not been halted and that the company is working on multiple foldable devices, with various teams responsible for each product. Apple has yet to disclose any intentions to release a foldable smartphone in the near months — or years.