Foldable iPhone Flip could still be ‘2 or 3 years away’

Foldables enthusiasts better not hold their breath waiting for the long-rumored foldable iPhone Flip, as the latest titbit claims it might not arrive for another 2-3 years at the earliest.

That’s according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in his ‘Power On’ newsletter, who noted that Apple’s entry into the foldable phone world looks to be a way off. If true, that would mean Samsung will be the only major company to go big on foldables outside China.

While the first foldable phones launched in 2019, they’ve not yet taken off in a meaningful way. In fact only Samsung and Motorola have actually sold foldables devices in the U.S., and only a handful more have gone on sale in China from the likes of Huawei and Royole.

We have heard about plenty of other devices, including the rumored Google Pixel Fold, LG’s ill-fated ‘rollable’ handset, and of course the iPhone Flip itself. However none of these products have gone on sale, and with the demise of LG’s phone division it seems unlikely that its rollable ever will.

Apple itself has never confirmed or denied that it has any plans to release a foldable phone. Though Apple never comments on any of its plans before they’re actually ready to go on sale, so there’s no surprise there. However Apple has filed a large number of patents related to foldable tech, which suggests it has, at the very least, a passive interest in exploring the technology for itself.

In any case it’s not as though Apple is likely to fall too far behind. For starters foldables phones are still a niche product, with the price tag preventing them from gaining serious mainstream appeal. Likewise the fact Samsung is the only major player in the U.S. means Apple is in the same boat as pretty much everyone else.

And of course Apple isn’t one to rush a product or feature for the sake of it. Even if every other phone maker on the planet only started selling foldables, Apple wouldn’t launch its own until it was absolutely ready.

So don’t hold your breath waiting for the iPhone Flip, because it’s probably going to be a while. Though that’s certainly a good thing. 

Considering all the problems Samsung had with the original Galaxy Fold, and the fact successive foldables all have a prominent crease on their screen, I’m quite happy to sit back and let Apple, quite literally, work out most of the kinks. In the meantime there’s always the iPhone 13 range to look forward to.