Impressive progress in the development of a foldable iPhone: the new report comes from suppliers involved in the production, according to which Apple has completed a critical step in the development of the iPhone Fold and managed to solve one of the core problems of the folding devices, which is the fold mark that remains along the center of the screen. Many companies have tried to eliminate the crease created by the folding mechanism, but until now it remains one of the weak points of the genre. Now the report indicates that Apple has reached production capacity of several hundred test units, after rejecting previous models from its screen development partner Samsung.
According to a publication on the UDN website, Apple’s involvement was deepened during the development phase. The company was not satisfied with the screen provided by Samsung but redesigned essential parts of the internal structure, materials and lamination methods of the panel. In doing so, it developed together with the suppliers New Rixing and Amfeno – a hinge mechanism with an improved structure, designed to distribute the pressure more uniformly when opening and closing. In this way, it is possible to prevent the appearance of the permanent crease in the center of the screen, which was until now a necessity in folding phones.
The report notes that the project has now moved to the second stage in the development chain, known as engineering verification testing. This is the stage after the production of the initial models, in which an advanced version that is more similar to a final product is tested. Companies usually produce at this stage a limited series of about hundreds of units, which are used for internal tests, examining the stability and durability of the components and the folding mechanisms, software and hardware synchronization tests and long-term quality tests.
According to reports, the Honghai Group, one of Apple’s main hardware manufacturers, has set up a dedicated production line for the foldable device. This step is seen as a sign that the device is no longer a laboratory experiment, but is moving to an early production plan, in preparation for the launch of a commercial product. The progress bolsters speculation that the device, which may be called the iPhone Ultra, will launch within the next year.