Apple's first foldable screen probably won't be on the iPhone

OLED will be at the core of a folding iPad

There have been rumors of an iPhone Fold since at least when Samsung began releasing its foldable range. Yet recently there has been a spate of new, if contradictory, rumors saying Apple has two prototypes, might make a folding iPad instead, or has abandoned the whole idea.

Now Digitimes claims to have information from the supply chain. According to the report, various elements of a design are coming together, and the device will not be an iPhone.

It's not clear what stage the design is at, but the implication is that it's nearing completion. The report says that planning is underway for the mass production of the device.

Similarly, reporting that this device will not be an iPhone, says that it will be an iPad or a MacBook Pro. This doesn't necessarily mean that the rumor of two iPhone fold prototypes is false, but Digitimes does say that work has not been abandoned or disbanded.

Digitimes has a strong reputation for its supply chain sources — but a considerably poorer one for the conclusions it draws about Apple's plans or schedules. In this case, it's saying a folding device will not appear before 2025 at the earliest.

That fits with a December 2023 report which in part also said that Samsung had reorganized a business group to better service Apple's demands for foldable screens.