Apple’s long-anticipated entry into the foldable smartphone market is reportedly set for the latter half of next year, with the company selecting Samsung Display as the exclusive supplier for the device’s OLED panels, reported 9To5mac. The decision could come after years of Apple holding off on launching a foldable iPhone due to one critical design flaw seen in competing models — the visible crease in the centre of the screen.
According to industry sources cited byBusinessKorea, Samsung is the only display maker that has met Apple’s exacting standards when it comes to crease minimisation. Apple’s other display partners, LG Display and China’s BOE, are understood to have fallen short of the necessary technological benchmarks, leaving Samsung as the sole provider — at least for the first generation of Apple’s foldable device.
Apple’s foldable delay explained
The publication reports that a major stumbling block for Apple has been the prominent crease typically found on foldable smartphones when fully opened. Consumers and reviewers alike have criticised the crease, which has remained a persistent issue even across multiple generations of foldable phones from various brands.
Notably, the report highlights that Apple instructed its suppliers to revisit the hinge and display design as recently as last year, after being dissatisfied with early prototypes. Apple, known for prioritising user experience and visual uniformity, was reportedly unwilling to proceed with a foldable iPhone until the crease could be reduced to a level where it was barely perceptible.
That breakthrough appears to have arrived earlier this year, following what has been described as close collaboration between Samsung and hinge specialist Amphenol — a supplier that already manufactures hinges for MacBooks. The partnership resulted in a more refined hinge mechanism and display integration that significantly mitigated the crease, matching Apple’s internal quality benchmarks.
A glimpse at what’s coming
While official details on the iPhone Fold remain scarce, rumours continue to swirl around possible features, including a display-embedded Face ID system. However, recent clarifications from known leakers suggest this feature may still be in the experimental phase and not confirmed for the launch model.
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