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.
Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon.
Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week.
iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
Wednesday December 10, 2025 2:52 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Google Maps on iOS quietly gained a new feature recently that automatically recognizes where you've parked your vehicle and saves the location for you.
Announced on LinkedIn by Rio Akasaka, Google Maps' senior product manager, the new feature auto-detects your parked location even if you don't use the parking pin function, saves it for up to 48 hours, and then automatically removes it once...
Apple has ordered 22 million OLED panels from Samsung Display for the first foldable iPhone, signaling a significantly larger production target than the display industry had previously anticipated, ET News reports.
In the now-seemingly deleted report, ET News claimed that Samsung plans to mass-produce 11 million inward-folding OLED displays for Apple next year, as well as 11 million...
Thursday December 11, 2025 11:28 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3 and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B30, up from 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 firmware is 8B28, up from 8B21.
There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 are getting expanded support for Live Translation in the European Union in iOS...
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 ...
Thursday December 11, 2025 10:31 am PST by Juli Clover
The AirTag 2 will include a handful of new features that will improve tracking capabilities, according to a new report from Macworld. The site says that it was able to access an internal build of iOS 26, which includes references to multiple unreleased products.
Here's what's supposedly coming:
An improved pairing process, though no details were provided. AirTag pairing is already...
Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found.
Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker.
According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
Thursday December 11, 2025 4:02 pm PST by Juli Clover
Apple is working on a smart home hub that will rely heavily on the more capable version of Siri that's coming next year. We've heard quite a bit about the hub over the last two years, but a recent iOS 26 code leak provides additional insight into what we can expect and confirms rumored features.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Macworld claims to have access to an ...
Thursday December 11, 2025 4:19 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple's next-generation Studio Display is expected to arrive early next year, and a new report allegedly provides a couple more details on the external monitor's capabilities.
According to internal Apple code seen by Macworld, the new external display will feature a variable refresh rate capable of up to 120Hz – aka ProMotion – as well as support for HDR content. The current Studio...
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.
