Apple has reportedly moved its foldable iPhone project into the engineering validation testing (EVT) stage after achieving a crucial breakthrough: eliminating the visible crease found in most folding phones’ displays. Foxconn has set up an exclusive production line for the device, and Apple has built around 100 near-final units for testing, Taiwan’s United Daily News (UDN) reports.
The inner display is from Samsung, but Apple designed the panel structure, material processing, and lamination method. Apple also worked with suppliers Amphenol and New Nikko to codevelop the hinge bearings, and the mechanism reportedly uses Liquid Metal components to distribute stress more evenly across the fold and prevent permanent creasing. It was previously reported that Apple will use in-cell touch-screen technology instead of on-cell sensors, reducing the air gap that makes screen creases more visible.
Reports say Apple rejected earlier display samples from Samsung before the company achieved results that met Apple’s strict crease-free standard. The foldable will allegedly come with a book-style design, a 7.8-inch inner screen, and a 5.5-inch outer display. It will also bring back Touch ID instead of Face ID, feature two 48-megapixel rear cameras, and incorporate a 24-megapixel selfie camera under the screen. Rumor has it that the foldable will boast Apple’s biggest iPhone battery yet.
The device’s price tag is said to land somewhere around $2,400, making it Apple’s most expensive iPhone.