Can the iPhone 14 Pro Max be flipped? Apple’s foldable phone
The iPhone 14 Flip has a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 1200 nits (peak) display. It has a resolution of 1284 x 2778 pixels, a 19.5: 9 aspect ratio, and a 457 PPI density. Apple iPhone Flip will launch in USA and UK on September 30, 2021 (expected). The mobile will be equipped with attractive features and specifications. You can buy this mobile from Apple for iPhone 14 Pro Max Excepted Price Start is $1800 to $2000.
Does the iPhone have a flip version?
According to John Prosser, Apple has tested two different types of iPhone flips: a fold-out hybrid tablet, similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold lineup, and a clamshell flip phone design similar to the Galaxy Z Flip range. These sources also claim that Apple will move forward with the clamshell design, although it is still in the early stages of development and some changes are likely.
The patent filings reveal a few more things that Apple may consider for its fold, including any device of the future that could avoid a clamshell design for anything else.
Ming-Chi Kuo claims that the first foldable iPhone will have a huge display measuring 8 inches. It will be larger than the Galaxy Z Fold 3, which offers a 7.6-inch display when opened. An 8-inch display will be about the same size as the 8.3-inch iPad mini. A separate report claims that Apple could work with LG on a 7.5-inch OLED foldable display panel.
In 2020, we became aware of another Apple patent describing a “shared operating mode” that allows a single-screen device to be complemented by a magnetically-connected secondary display. Theoretically, this mode would allow independent devices to join a shared space, which is not really related to the whole single foldable panel concept. This is more Microsoft Surface Duo than Samsung Galaxy Fold.
Another patent, originally filed in the second quarter of 2018 and later discovered by PatentlyApple, depicts a device with a flexible display that folds off but leaves a small strip at the bottom for easy access to notifications and relevant information. Think of it as a miniature touch bar available on the MacBook Pro.
If we go back to 2020, we’ll see the previous music of Apple’s foldable design, which includes a patent for a tri-folding display. And if we expand further into 2016, we’ll see one of the oldest foldable iPhone patents courtesy of MacRumors, featuring a vertically folded handset like the Galaxy Z Flip and Motorola Razr.
Which feeds the imagination of designers who post concept rendering depicting the possible appearance of the iPhone flip / fold. Take this 3D mockup posted by a YouTube account called #iOS Beta News that looks a lot like the Galaxy Z Flip Copicat, with its slim bezel, centrally located hole-punch camera cutout, minimal external display and vertical orientation. It’s a design that we can imagine Apple will actually release, at least with a more subtle tuning out of the rough concept presented here.
Another iPhone flip concept design from LetsGoDigital has a small notch and an external cover display in addition to a folding screen. Conceptsiphone has also released a video of an iPhone flip concept that looks a lot like the Apple version of the Galaxy Z Flip 3. It has smaller notches than the iPhone 12, a 120Hz display and an in-screen touch ID sensor. It also has an M1 chip, which sounds a bit distant, but we’ll see if Apple puts forward its A-Series naming convention for the iPhone.
Another designer, Antonio de Rosa, tweeted pictures showing a foldable iPhone that provides some elements of the Galaxy Z Flip, such as an external notification screen, while retaining some distinctive iPhone touch. These include the Flat Edge, an iPhone 13 Pro-like camera array, and Apple’s rumored iPhone 14 plan.
When Apple’s first foldable iPhone 14 Pro Max takes shape, Cupertino alone won’t be able to do it. Over the past three years, we’ve heard competitive rumors that Apple is negotiating with both LG and Samsung to finally launch it to provide a flexible display for any device. In March 2019, it was reported by Korean media (via Macromers) that Samsung had sent a sample of the Apple panel for display analysis.
But what if Apple doesn’t bring a flexible display for its first folded iPhone and opts for a dual-panel system like the Surface Duo instead? This is a possibility raised by John Prosser of Front Page Tech, who suggested that Cupertino prototype this type of design. Prosser says the device retains the rounded look of the iPhone 11, noting that the iPhone 12 reintroduces flat edges in Apple’s lineup but incorporates a hinge, and the two separate screens blend seamlessly when stretched.
Apple’s foldable phone
We saw a patent in October 2020 that suggested that the iPhone Flip could come with an upgraded version of the ceramic shield of the iPhone 12. It will be specifically designed for a flexible display and will have four layers: a cover layer, a hardcoat layer, an interior surface and a transparent support layer. That support layer can even be made of glass or sapphire for extra strength.
There is also speculation that the display itself may “heal” thanks to a “self-healing material” layer that will reduce the appearance of scratches or dents. There is no guarantee that Apple will launch such a handset, but the expansion report reminds us that the firm’s first foldable phone can play in a variety of ways. Although flexible panels are all the rage these days, dual-screen hardware can ultimately win if Apple isn’t attracted to the reliability, durability or cost of a device with a single, folded screen.
In February 2020, an Apple patent appeared that would theoretically allow a foldable display to bend in the middle without exerting too much pressure on the panel. Inside the hinge, the screen will bend in a sense, creating a slower curve than a stiff crease. It is hoped that this type of design will help increase the durability and longevity of the display. It is worth noting that the Galaxy Z Flip actually includes a design that is not very different from it.
Apple has since filed a series of patents that spell out ways to make the iPhone Flip more durable with a crack-resistant display. We haven’t learned much about Apple’s foldable iPhone plan yet, but one thing is for sure: the strategy that Apple adopts to make its first foldable phone will probably signal the direction of the industry.
Samsung may be the first from the foldable phone gate with the Galaxy Fold, but the company continues to test various form factors as it looks to find out what phone buyers actually want. With each release from Apple, the mobile market has a history of major changes: the trend of abandoning the headphone jack, dropping the bezel, and notching was all started by the iPhone. And while 5G handsets are more common than ever, the 2020 iPhone 12 has probably served as a familiarity to most people with 5G.
In the end, the foldable technology and the smartphone industry put a lot of pressure on how Apple moves toward the dream of a folding iPhone 14 Pro Max.
