Apple's Foldable iPhone Prototype Allegedly Features Separate Display Panels Connected by Hinge

Apple is working on a foldable iPhone prototype that features two separate display panels that are connected by a hinge rather than a single display like the Samsung Galaxy Fold, according to leaker Jon Prosser who shared the info in a tweet and a YouTube interview shared by Jon Rettinger.

Prosser says that the foldable iPhone has rounded, stainless steel edges like the current iPhone 11 and no notch, but a "tiny forehead" on the outer display for Face ID.

Though the iPhone features two separate displays connected by a hinge, Prosser claims that the panels look "fairly continuous and seamless."

Samsung's foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Fold, is designed as a single display with a fold in the middle that allows it to open and close. Prosser believes that Apple's version that's in the works looks more similar to Microsoft's Surface Neo and Surface Duo, both of which are foldable dual display devices that feature two displays connected with a hinge.

There's no word on when Apple might develop a foldable iPhone, but there have been rumors about work on such a device dating back to 2016, as well as a number of patents. A March 2020 patent described a device that featured two separate displays that could be brought together to create a single bendable device with a hinge.

It's not clear if the foldable iPhone will ever move out of a prototyping stage, but it doesn't look like a foldable device is launching in the near future. More information on Apple's alleged work on a foldable iPhone can be found in our guide.