Apple has been awarded yet another patent for a foldable device, with the latest embodiment featuring a clamshell design with touch-sensitive areas on the sides that serve as virtual buttons (via CNBC).
Filed by Apple in April 2021 and approved this week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the new patent explores ideas for "Electronic Devices With Display and Touch Sensor Structures" and envisions how parts of a device could work as input surfaces to augment the display or for use when the display is folded up.
In one example, the patent describes how display layers and touch sensor layers could be "overlapped" in a device's outer panels, and how the touch sensors could go under a glass layer along the front, bottom, and "curved sidewalls" of a device, suggesting the potential for touch input across the entire outer chassis of a clamshell-style enclosure.
Elsewhere in another example, the patent describes "wrapping a display around some or all of the device," where the curved sidewalls would house touch-sensitive layers, allowing them to work as camera controls, volume sliders, and other functions.
The patent is fueling fresh speculation that Apple's first foldable device is getting nearer to launch. The company has been working on foldable display technology for some years now, filing multiple foldable-related patents. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said last year that Apple is actively testing a foldable display, although he believes Apple's first foldable device may be a hybrid iPhone and iPad, or simply a foldable iPad. More recently, Kuo said that Apple is preparing to launch a foldable iPad with a carbon fiber kickstand in 2024.
Display analyst Ross Young said last year that Apple's long-rumored foldable iPhone has been delayed until 2025. The news of the delay reportedly came after discussions with supply chain sources, suggesting that Apple has been conducting due diligence to ascertain the viability of bringing such a product to market anytime soon.
Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below.
Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
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Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone.
In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by Joe Rossignol
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs.
On his blog Daring Fireball,...
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports.
iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
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Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch.
According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by Tim Hardwick
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020.
If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...
Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent.
Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
One thing worth...
Disclaimer: if you are not someone who uses a mini tablet/tablet along with a cell phone often and would appreciate having both devices in one, this post is not for you.
I was skeptical at first regarding foldables as well, until I traded in my iPhone 12 Pro Max for the Z Fold 3. I couldn't wait any longer for Apple to release a foldable phone and I was using my iPhone and iPad Mini all the time so I figured it would be great to have a 2 in 1. I have the Z Fold 4 now and I will never go back to a traditional slab phone. I love having a cell phone and mini tablet in one pocketable device. I prefer having the Z Fold 4 in my pocket over the iPhone Pro Max, as the iPhone Pro Max is too wide to be comfortable. The Z Fold 4 is a multi-tasking beast as well. I believe Apple will make a great foldable phone, and if/when they do I will consider coming back to iOS. If you are on the fence at all, give a foldable a try. It is impossible to understand how great they are unless you've owned one. You can always return it, if you don't like it. Android has come a long way over the past 4-5 years, and this is coming from someone who used to absolutely despise it. I found that Android 12 and 13 to be just as stable as iOS, which has gone downhill drastically over the past 3-4 years. For reference, I had owned every iPhone from the 4 to the 12. Food for thought anyway ?
Side note: I had a Z Flip 4 as a backup phone and it was not good. I just don't understand the appeal of this type of foldable. Having to unfold it all the time for pretty much anything you want to do. It was a huge no-go for me anyway. To each their own though of course.
I have no use for this. Just about everything Apple makes has a great screen experience so no, I won't be buying anything with an ugly folded seam running down the middle.
