Apple is planning a foldable device “intended to serve as a laptop” according to yet another leak attributed to the global giant.
The contraption would have a screen of about 19 inches, the Wall Street Journal reports.
It says a smaller model – an iPhone foldable – would unfold to a display size larger than an iPhone 16 Pro Max. The 16 Pro Max has a 6.86 inch screen, however the actual viewable area is less.
The WSJ says a future iPhone will be thinner than the current models. The iPhone 16 Pro Max has a depth of 8.25mm.
“The model is intended to be cheaper than Pro models, with a simplified camera system to reduce costs,” the paper said.
“Both foldable designs have been in development for years, but some key parts weren’t ready. Major challenges included improving the hinge, a mechanism that allows the device to fold and unfold, and the display cover, a flexible material protecting the foldable screen.”
Jeff Pu, an analyst with Hong Kong-based brokerage Haitong International Securities, told the WSJ that current foldable phones are thin, light or energy-efficient enough to meet Apple’s standards.
Sites including Patently Apple have been following various designs and improvements lodged by Apple in the US, including its moves to protect a variety of folding devices with internal and external displays.
The WSJ says the company now “favours an inward-folding” design.
