It’s one of the biggest companies in the world, but Apple is one of the few tech firms yet to unveil a foldable device.
That may be soon about to change, however, because Apple is allegedly readying its first foldable iPhone – following in the footsteps of Samsung, Huawei and Motorola.
Now, MailOnline has turned to AI sensation ChatGPT to imagine what the so-called ‘iPhone Flip’ will look like.
According to the chatbot, the high-end device will have a flexible OLED display with ultra-thin bezels and a polished titanium finish.
Similar to rival Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip, it has a horizonal crease through the middle of the main screen and a smaller screen for use when folded.
‘This imagined foldable iPhone represents a balance of innovation and Apple’s iconic design principles,’ ChatGPT says.
‘It emphasizes a seamless design with high-quality materials and innovative features.’
Although this image is just an AI-generated prediction, 2025 could be the year that Apple finally unveils the first foldable iPhone.
ChatGPT’s artistic impression shows a device that looks similar to rival Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, which was first released back in 2020
For its prediction, ChatGPT analysed ongoing rumours, tech trends and ‘speculative reports’ about the upcoming foldable to create this new artistic impression.
Notably, it shows a iPhone with a horizontal fold going from left to right, similar to rival Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, which was first released back in 2020.
According to ChatGPT, it has a ‘large OLED screen that stretches across the entire front when open’ with premium stainless steel frame around the edge.
The chatbot says: ‘The display is sleek with minimal bezels and a soft crease in the middle when unfolded.
‘It has rounded edges and a matte back finish, perhaps available in graphite, silver, or a new deep blue.’
However, the iPhone’s hinge mechanism is much more visible compared with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Flip or the Honor Magic V3.
In fact, it looks like there’s sizeable gap across the centre of the screen, as if the maker has just attached two square displays to each other.
ChatGPT claims the hinge mechanism is ‘visible but elegant, giving the phone a high-end, refined look’.
According to a leaker, internal executives at Apple are accelerating work on the foldable and entered a ‘formal development process’
ChatGPT’s impression is similar to rival Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, which was first released back in 2020. Pictured, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, released in 2024
‘The exterior combines glossy glass and titanium, keeping Apple’s signature blend of materials.’
ChatGPT also says the foldable iPhone boasts a triple-camera system with a LiDAR scanner for ‘better depth sensing and AR [augmented reality] experiences’.
LiDAR (light detection and ranging) measures distance by shooting a laser at a target and analysing the light that is reflected back – and helps AR apps understand a user’s position and movement in real-time.
Like the iPhone 16 family released in autumn, the foldable will also likely include 5G support, improved battery life and the new A18 chip, crucial for intensive AI- tasks.
As for the price, ChatGPT predicts that the foldable will be Apple’s most expensive phone ever.
Given that the iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at £1,199/$1,199, the foldable variant might be priced between £1,499/$1,499 and £1,999/$1,999, it says.
Of course, ChatGPT itself admits that it can make mistakes, so it’s worth taking the AI’s prediction with a pinch of salt.
Naturally, Apple has long been tight-lipped about the status of its rumoured foldable, or when it might hit the market; MailOnline has contacted the firm for comment.
It’s the biggest company in the world, but Apple is one of the few tech firms that’s yet to unveil a foldable device (file photo)
Motorola’s reinvented Razr flip mobile has a 6.2 inch foldable screen, which bends in half to shut in the same way as older ‘clamshell’ handsets
But according to a Korean tipster Yeux1122, internal executives at Apple are accelerating work on the device, the name of which is yet to be confirmed.
Allegedly it will be revealed in 2025 – possibly at WWDC in June or its annual iPhone event in September – before a release in 2026.
Mark Gurman, a respected Apple tipster based in California, has said the device could be ‘the best Apple device to date and change the game’.
Meanwhile, Ming-Chi Kuo has said the first foldable iPhone will have a display measuring 8 inches – much bigger than iPhone 16 Pro Max’s 6.86 inches.
Kuo, an analyst at TF International Securities in Hong Kong, is known for garnering information on Apple’s plans from his contacts within the company’s Asian supply chain.
If he’s correct, it’s more likely it will be a ‘Fold’ (which folds vertically down the centre like a book) rather than a ‘Flip’ (clamshell-style, as imagined by ChatGPT).
Unlike several of its rivals such as Samsung, Huawei and Motorola, Apple is yet to release a foldable phone, although it’s long been rumoured to be working on one.
Apple appears to have registered patents for a foldable phone, similar to a flip phone, with a horizontal hinge through the middle.
Mark Gurman, a respected Apple tipster based in California, has said the device could be ‘the best Apple device to date and change the game’
In 2019, Apple filed a patent showing off what appears to be a folding phone. In the patent, a device can be seen folding closed, similar to a flip phone, via a hinge in the middle
Back in 2022, YouTubers in China created an impressive prototype of what the first foldable iPhone could look like.
The prototype, called iPhone V, folds down a central hinge in the screen and features silver iPhone lettering on the hinge, plus the iconic Apple icon on the back.
It was built by the engineers over more than 200 days using an iPhone X and the folding mechanism from Motorola’s Razr.
However, Ben Wood, an analyst at CCS Insight, previously said that there is ‘really no need’ for Apple to move in the foldable direction at present.
‘You can be sure that it has had flexible display technology in its labs for the last decade,’ he told MailOnline.
‘But at present there is no commercial imperative for Apple to take the risk of piling into a niche market when the iPhone is so unbelievably successful.’
By Daily Mail Online, December 21, 2024
