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Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/1525170
to suggest that the early prototypes are not moving forward into a project with an actual codename: V68. This has also been corroborated in a separate report from DigiTimes, which claims that “sources close to Apple indicate that the company has been conducting R&D on a top-down folding smartphone” that began earlier this year. Writing for DigiTimes, Daniel Chiang and Jack Wu predict that the folding smartphone will launch by 2026. However, this seems to be an educated guess based on “Apple’s typical two-year development cycle for new products” rather than any solid information. To use Samsung’s nomenclature for comparison, the proposed V68 iPhone appears to be more of an “iPhone Flip” than an “iPhone Fold.” That is to say that it will feature a clamshell design where it folds along a horizontal crease, and DigiTimes’ sources say that it will be similar in dimensions to existing iPhone models when unfolded, although the authors don’t specify whether that would be the size of a 6.1-inch iPhone 15 or the rumored 6.9-inch iPhone 16 Pro Max. Chiang and Wu add that Apple may have already signed a contract with Samsung Display to supply the panels for the new foldable iPhone. A fall 2020 report suggested Apple had ordered a “large number” of foldable displays for testing, but not much else was heard after that. Insiders believe Apple is struggling to produce a creaseless foldable. That’s a feat none of its Android rivals have managed to achieve — last year’s OnePlus Open came close, but Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 aren’t there yet. So, producing a folding iPhone without a perfectly smooth display would be a huge feather in Apple’s cap to set its design apart. This is also something the design-obsessed company is likely unwilling to compromise on. It’s unclear if it’s cracked the creaseless design yet, but if it’s still working on it, there’s a possibility that the “iPhone Flip” may never see the light of day if it can’t work out those details.