JAKARTA - Apple is rumored to not stop at just one folding iPhone model. Although the first iPhone Fold with a book-like folding design has not been officially released, the Cupertino-based company is said to have thought about the next steps, including presenting a folding iPhone with a clamshell design or flip model.
This information was revealed by Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, in the Power On newsletter edition of Sunday. According to Gurman, Apple is currently still focusing on preparing the first iPhone Fold. But at the same time, Apple's internal team is also exploring the possibility of another folding device with a smaller and square design, resembling a clamshell model folding phone.
This development is said to be related to the potential for market response. If the first generation iPhone Fold is successful, Apple assesses that demand for the folding phone category could increase, thus opening up opportunities for other design and size variations.
In addition to the clamshell model, Gurman also mentioned that Apple could consider a larger folding iPhone with a book design, similar to what Samsung has already offered. This is aimed at giving consumers more options according to the needs of the screen and the size of the device.
Not a New Rumor
Most of the latest rumors do point to an iPhone Fold with a book-like folding design, namely a screen that is split in the middle vertically. However, in the history of previous leaks, Apple has also been associated with the concept of a clamshell folding iPhone, even including the idea of an iPhone with a roll-up screen.
The clamshell design itself is not foreign in the market. Samsung has long presented a small folding phone that opens and closes like a mini laptop. This concept makes the screen fold horizontally, as well as produce a shorter and box-like phone shape.
This approach has a number of advantages. One of them is presenting a small-sized phone that can be opened into a larger screen. This concept has the potential to attract users who like compact phones like the iPhone 12 mini, while still enticing regular iPhone users who want a large screen when needed.
If it really adopts a pure clamshell design, this version of the folding iPhone will likely only have an internal screen without an external screen. That way, the folding screen will be better protected when the phone is closed and only exposed when opened.
However, Apple is considered unlikely to release two iPhone Fold models with an extreme approach, one with an outer screen and one without an outer screen. It remains a question mark whether Apple will retain a book-like folding model while adding a clamshell variant to its product line.
Based on the available information, it is likely that Apple is only conducting research and testing, and may even have produced prototypes. Certainty about the new clamshell folding iPhone will be seen after Apple sees the market response to the first iPhone Fold, which is expected to launch in September 2026. If this plan really continues, the flip model folding iPhone is likely to be available at the earliest by the end of 2027.
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