Apple is poised to go against the foldable smartphone grain with its forthcoming “iPhone Fold,” and one of the most unexpected surprises may center around the size of the secondary display. In this regard, the 5.3 inches may actually prove shocking when one considers that this is even smaller than the 5.4 inches of the now-discontinued iPhone mini but especially in comparison with the 6.3-6.5 inches found on Google Pixel Fold and Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold line. Given a market that has been bred to consider the external display a functional part of a smartphone, this is a shocking and not entirely financially motivated choice.
The trick is in Apple’s focus on its inner screen. Rumors indicate a 4:3 aspect ratio</b for the unfolded screen, a format long used in iPads for its versatility in both portrait and landscape orientations. This ratio is ideal for multitasking, split-screen layouts, and iPadOS-style app interfaces, but it comes with a trade-off: the more rectangular the inner panel, the less conventional the outer screen becomes. Apple’s choice suggests the folded state will be optimized for quick interactions notifications, short replies, and glanceable information while the unfolded state delivers the primary experience, essentially functioning as a pocketable iPad. From a hardware perspective, Apple is engineering the device to overcome common foldable pain points. The inner display is expected to be virtually crease-free, achieved through a combination of a metal plate that disperses bending stress and a liquid metal hinge assembly. This hinge, reportedly co-developed with suppliers like NewRixing and Amphenol, uses high-strength metallic glass and titanium alloy to improve durability and reduce visible folding lines. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims the hinge can withstand 1 million folds, outlasting Samsung’s Z Fold hinge ratings by a significant margin.
Flexible OLED display technology plays a crucial role here. The display manufacturing process is being handled in collaboration with Samsung Display; however, the laminating and handling of the material are being undertaken by Apple themselves. The expected thickness when unfurled measures 4.8mm, putting it among the thinnest-foldables available as a book-fold design. Having a more mechanical setup for the hinge means there is less loss of space inside that could otherwise leave less room for batteries when divided as they tend to be in a typical foldable smartphone design.
Power efficiency is also an area of engineering improvement for this new iPhone Fold series. With high density cell technology and an optimized display driver to maximize space for more storage, this new iPhone Fold provides up to 32 hours of video playback time. The new A18 Pro processor with an enhanced 45 TOPS NPU performance enhances not only AI-based multitasking but also helps to extend battery life through optimized resource management. This is consistent with Apple’s concept of using the expanded mode as a productivity work center that allows users to run iPad-class apps with seamless multitasking capabilities.
Camera integration is a consequence of a slim foldable design. Apple is said to choose a 48MP dual-camera module in the rear, while there are cameras in the frontal section in both folded and unfolded positions, but an under-display camera in the inner screen. The elimination of Face ID in favor of a Touch ID button may also help to reduce space as there are no difficulties in arranging sensors in the foldable body. The smaller secondary display will necessarily limit the usage extent when the phone is folded and used in a folded mode for tasks such as typing or viewing content.
It is likely that Apple is pinning its hopes on the fact that people will learn to accommodate the secondary mode that the folded screen offers. This is consistent with observations made by the Google Pixel Fold design team that more than half the usage time spent on a phone is less than two minutes. Apple is taking up this challenge and going a step further by reducing the secondary screen size.
The prices are expected to be high, in the $1,999-$2,500 segment, thanks to the usage of new materials in the hinges, the current prices of OLED screens, and a jump in the prices of memory. Whether the fact that the production cost of the hinges was less – in the $70-$80 segment – will influence the prices of the consumer unit would be hard to say. One thing that can be confirmed is that instead of a larger iPhone, what Apple has brought with the iPhone Fold is a new form factor device that can be defined as an iPad in the multitasking segment that would fit into a pocket, The prices are expected to be high, in the $1,999-$2,500 segment, thanks to the usage of new materials in the hinges, the current prices of OLED screens, and a jump in the prices
