According to sources who broke the news, Apple's upcoming folding screen phone "iPhone Fold" will adopt a new design idea in the screen form. One of the major highlights is that the creases on the inner screen are greatly reduced. With a wider screen ratio, the overall look and feel is expected to be different from current mainstream folding screen products.
According to reports, Apple may use a double-layer ultra-thin glass structure on the inner screen of this folding machine, including ultra-thin glass (UTG) or ultra-folding glass (UFG), to reduce visible creases in the folding part of the screen. The inner screen is said to be sandwiched between multiple layers of glass to avoid direct contact with the hinge structure. This design is believed to not only help reduce the appearance of creases after long-term use, but also improve the overall durability of the flexible panel.
In addition, the news also mentioned that Apple has equipped this folding screen phone with "self-healing" glass and a seamless hinge solution to further enhance the overall sense of integration and durability. Earlier rumors pointed out that the crease height of the iPhone Fold's inner screen is only about 0.15 mm. It is expected to use a display panel from Samsung and is close to the "near-crease-free" solution used by Oppo Find N6 in terms of technology.
In terms of product planning, iPhone Fold is currently expected to be officially released in September this year. The starting price may be US$1,999. The US market price is approximately RMB 14,000, while the rumored starting price in the Chinese market is approximately RMB 15,999. In terms of configuration, this folding screen phone is expected to use a 7.8-inch internal screen and a 5.49-inch external screen. The large-size internal screen is combined with an iPad-style interactive interface to expand the multi-tasking and content display experience in the folded form.
Judging from the current news from many sources, Apple’s focus on the first folding screen iPhone will be core experience aspects such as crease control, hinge structure and panel durability. Whether it can form enough differentiation in the increasingly mature folding screen market remains to be verified by more subsequent information and actual machine performance.