Apple has not (yet) entered the world of folding smartphones, but the Apple brand is already expected at the turn. For a few years Samsung has been offering folding phones, the Fold and the Flip. Two very high-end models that are distinguished by this removable screen.
Always a competitor of the Koreans, the Cupertino company has not yet offered any equivalent model, and according to the first rumors around the iPhone 15 it will be necessary to wait at least until 2024 to have a product of this kind. But tired of waiting for the next iPhone, a Chinese engineer decided to take the lead.
He managed to build the world’s first folding iPhone. The iPhone V, as it is called, is based on an iPhone X with parts from Galaxy Z Flip and Motorola Razr. As with other clamshell designs, the big challenge was repositioning the elements inside the phone.
A long reassembly work under the screen
After several months of work, the engineer explains that he succeeded in dividing the phone in two. In the lower part, he integrated the motherboard as well as the necessary assembly for the memory. The other part of the phone has the right to the battery and photo sensors. This architecture is reminiscent of the choices made by Motorola and Samsung in the design of their folding models.
Thus the iPhone “V” is perfectly usable. The phone works very well. The biggest problem is ultimately the lack of optimization of iOS for folding devices. With good software work from Apple, the next folding smartphone could thus be a very good device.
The Apple brand has been working on an iPhone of this kind for years and if the layout of the fold is not yet known (Apple has the choice between a model close to the Flip and another close to the Fold) several patents have already been made public.
In the case of this experiment, the engineer behind this iPhone claims to have worked for months, in particular on the layout of the elements at the heart of the phone. In order to perfect the finishes of this prototype device, the engineer behind it used 3D printing for certain connecting parts.
According to the latest rumors about Apple, the apple brand could launch a folding iPad, similar to the iPhone, in the next few years. Very high-end product, the latest report about it gives it an exit price above 2500 €.
