Getting a foldable phone right isn’t just about making it thin or hiding the crease in the display; the software that powers it is equally, if not more important than the hardware.
A new report from Bloomberg says that, when it comes to the rumored iPhone Fold, Apple will keep things simple by making it a lot like the iPad when unfolded.
First, a note about the hardware. We don’t know if the iPhone Fold is even real, and it’s certainly not an officially confirmed Apple product at this point. But rumors say that it’ll be a foldable phone that’s roughly iPhone-sized when closed, and the size of an iPad mini when unfolded.
That inside display will reportedly have a wife aspect ratio, making it ideal for watching videos, as well as multitasking.
According to Bloomberg, Apple will make this work by adding updates to iOS that enable iPad-like screen layouts, as well as running multiple apps side by side, just like you can on the iPad.
Make no mistake, the iPhone Fold will still be running iOS and not iPadOS, so you can forget about having a real desktop-like experience, and you won’t be able to natively run iPadOS apps on it. But developers will get tools to adapt their existing iOS apps to be accomodating to the Fold’s wider display, which includes adding a sidebar along the left edge of the screen (as seen on some iPad apps).
The report also reiterates previous claims that Apple will use new display tech that will all but eliminate the display crease that is seen on some foldable phones, and that Apple is working to make the Fold extremely durable, meaning you should be able to open and close it many, many times without it breaking.
The report also says that the Fold’s outer display will have a punch-hole style selfie camera on top, a first for Apple. This means the Fold will not have Face ID; instead, Touch ID will be integrated into the phone’s side button. Not having Face ID is a downside, but some iPads have Touch ID, and it works well, so it probably won’t be a big deal for most users.
Apple’s iPhone Fold is expected to arrive later this year with a starting price of roughly $2,000, making it the most expensive iPhone you can buy.
