Apple is investing unprecedented engineering resources into its first foldable screen phone (tentatively named iPhone Ultra), trying to create a high-end device that is significantly ahead of competing products in terms of structural design and cooling system. According to sources, the iPhone Ultra is expected to be equipped with a vacuum chamber (also known as a uniform heat chamber, steam chamber) cooling system to improve the heat conduction and dissipation capabilities of the entire machine. At the same time, the overall heat dissipation design will be considered Apple's most "engineering" attempt to date.
It is worth noting that the whistleblower pointed out that the complex hinge mechanism of this folding machine itself will also be included in the heat dissipation path and become part of the thermal management system to conduct and diffuse the heat generated inside the fuselage along the preset heat path. However, it is still uncertain whether the new machine can achieve IP68 dustproof and waterproof capabilities under this integrated hinge and heat dissipation solution.
Another tipster named Fixed Focus Digital revealed that the hinge material used in the iPhone Ultra will be Liquidmetal. The so-called Liquidmetal is actually the commercial name of a certain type of amorphous metal alloy. This type of alloy is rapidly cooled during the manufacturing process to prevent the atoms from being arranged into a regular crystal structure in the traditional way, causing the atomic arrangement to appear in a disordered state similar to glass. This type of metal material is said to be about 1.5 times as hard as stainless steel and about 2.5 times as strong as standard titanium. At the same time, it still has a certain degree of flexibility under stress, which is beneficial to improving the structural reliability of high-frequency opening and closing hinges.
The report pointed out that although Liquidmetal has thermal conductivity, its thermal conductivity is relatively unprominent, which means that Apple is likely to need to design a special heat conduction path inside or around the hinge, and cooperate with heat dissipation components such as vacuum chambers to achieve the expected heat dissipation effect of the entire machine. The tipster also previously stated that the overall design idea will revolve around orderly heat conduction through the interior of the fuselage to the hinges to optimize temperature performance under high load.
In terms of weight, well-known tipster Bing Universe recently predicted that the weight of the iPhone Ultra is "almost destined to exceed" Samsung's upcoming folding screen model Galaxy Z Fold 8. It is generally believed that factors such as vacuum cavity heat dissipation components, larger-capacity batteries, high-strength metal hinges, and possible titanium frames may increase the weight of the entire machine to varying degrees, thus creating a trade-off with competing products in terms of feel and portability.