Wen丨 Lei Technology leitech
In recent years, with the increasingly serious phenomenon of homogenization, the power of major mobile phone manufacturers has invariably turned to the folding screen, and the folding screen market has begun to become more and more popular. From Samsung to Huawei, and then to Xiaomi, Glory, OPPO, basically several brands with high market share are trying to launch their own folding screen products, and even vivo, which has not launched folding screen products for the time being, is also expected to enter the game this year.
Interestingly, among many mobile phone manufacturers, only Apple is currently the only manufacturer who does not have any public statement on the folding screen planning. However, it does not mean that Apple really has no idea about the folding screen. Since the beginning of the previous year, the network has continuously burst the news that Apple is about to launch a folding screen iPhone, from related patents, product design, screen suppliers to hinge suppliers have been exposed by the media, as if a product is about to be released.
Unfortunately, based on current intelligence, it seems that the folding screen iPhone will not meet us for a short time. According to the latest report released by Ross Young, an analyst at DSCC, a display research institute, Apple is likely to postpone the release of the folding screen iPhone to 2025 instead of the previously rumored 2023 due to factors such as product planning, hardware design, and technological maturity.
For die-hard fruit fans, the news is no less than a thunderbolt on a sunny day. The products that will take at least three years to wait for have really suppressed the eager hearts of fruit fans. The difference is that this news has aroused the curiosity of many ordinary consumers, what will Apple's folding screen iPhone look like, and can this product really have a huge impact on the mobile phone market?
Apple's folding screen
Although from the current point of view, Apple's action in the field of folding screens is more cautious. In fact, as early as 2016, the Internet has begun to spread the news that Apple is going to launch a folding screen mobile phone.
According to existing information, at that time, Apple applied to the U.S. Patent Office for a patented design called "flexible display device", patent number No.9504170. In the patent, Apple describes a foldable iPhone device that will be equipped with a foldable flexible OLED display and will use a special hinge design to meet the needs of high-strength folding.
From the product design drawing, when most mobile phone manufacturers are still studying how to increase the proportion of screens, Apple already has the prototype of a foldable smart device. Until today, folding screen devices such as Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, Huawei Mate X2, OPPO Find N and other common folding screen devices on the market are basically adopting an in-fold design that is basically the same as Apple's thinking.
In the time that followed, Apple was still not idle.
In 2018, Apple registered a patent on an OLED panel coating that allows OLED screens to fold while reducing wear and tear; in 2020, Apple registered a patent on foldable device hinges, using movable flaps to prevent creases or damage to the display when folded (the overall design is similar to the hinges of Motorola, Huawei, and OPPO).
From the patent information of these applications, we can see that Apple is indeed constantly improving the product design of foldable devices. Interestingly, judging from a design patent released last year, Apple considered many possibilities of folding devices, in addition to the horizontal inward folding design, even the horizontal folding, vertical folding and triple folding and other designs are also shown in Apple's patents.
Having said so much, Xiao Lei also knows that everyone is most concerned about the design of this folding screen iPhone. However, everyone knows that Apple will not expose the new products released in a few years so early, which is the best time to expose the media.
If Apple finally chooses the vertical folding design, then the folding screen iPhone we envision is likely to be like this picture below. This design similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip has the advantage that the size is similar to that of ordinary folding screen mobile phones after unfolding, but it is more delicate and compact when folded, which not only satisfies the large-screen enthusiasts, but also captures users who have always supported small-screen mobile phones.
If Apple finally chooses the landscape folding design, then the folding screen iPhone we envision is likely to be like this picture below. From the appearance of the design, this right angle border, bangs design folding screen iPhone is indeed very Apple flavor. Considering that this product can be the same size as a normal mobile phone when folded, but after unfolding to reach the size of a tablet, it seems that replacing the iPad mini is not an impossible thing.
It is worth mentioning that the above pictures do not represent Apple's final design, these appearances are restored according to Apple's exposed patents. When Apple's folding screen device will be released and in what form it will appear depends on the status of the folding screen device in Apple's mind. At present, Apple has obviously focused more energy on automobile manufacturing and AR products, and whether folding screen devices will appear is still a problem.
Want to innovate? The folding screen is not reliable
At some point, Apple and the word "innovation" began to drift apart.
It is not difficult to find that in the iPhone conference in recent years, Apple can bring fewer and fewer surprises to the audience. If the length of time is calculated, close to one to two hours of speech, the time that can make the audience feel amazing may be less than half an hour, no wonder the digital enthusiasts on major social media are calling "The Digital Spring Festival Gala is no longer there!" every time the major social media conferences are held! ”
Why?
Because the same technology is almost seen in the friends. Looking back carefully, it is not difficult for us to find out how unremarkable the iPhone series in recent years is for "enthusiasts" who understand the technology industry and the consumer digital industry a little, such as "high-speed" fast charging, 5G network, high-brush screen and other major upgrade points, which are basically Android mobile phones that are tired of playing technology.
The question is, which is the last Apple product that can make us exclaim? If you think about it, if you look at the performance of the product, almost every Apple device can get a good improvement; but if you look at the product design, it seems that only four years ago when the iPhone X was launched, it can only cause us sensory stimulation, and this product design has not changed for four years.
A very real problem is that Apple's products are becoming increasingly mediocre.
In order to regain the gene of "innovation", Apple chose the folding screen as a breakthrough after the full screen.
It is undeniable that today is the outlet of folding screen mobile phones, screen quality, folding hinges and other key technologies breakthroughs, so that more and more manufacturers into this market, such as Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, Huawei Mate X2, OPPO Find N and a series of high-quality products were born, not only pulling down the threshold of folding screen mobile phones, but also showing consumers more possibilities of screen form.
The question is, there is a market, there is an ecology, there is a supply chain advantage, the brand is enough to support a higher pricing, why apple finally delayed entering the folding screen?
Personally, I believe that there are two possible reasons. First, Apple is not satisfied with the effect of the current folding screen. Even if the screen quality is improved and the hinge technology is upgraded, there are still many problems in the folding screen equipment, in addition to the hardware problems of crease, strength, and service life, such as use scenarios and software adaptation, these software problems are a hurdle that cannot be crossed.
Looking at Apple's past products, the overall strategy is quite conservative, and only if the risk of a technology is reduced low enough, Apple will apply it to mass production products. In the past four years, Apple's iPhone series products have not changed the product design, and it is also affected by the product strategy to a certain extent. Apple does not want to rush to launch an unmodified folding screen product, which will be another decline in credibility and overwhelming doubts.
Second, Apple may not think that today's folding screen mobile phone is still an "innovation". The fact is also that the folding screen mobile phones on the market have reached double digits, in such a background, even if Apple really drummed out a folding screen iPhone, but in addition to providing users with some visual freshness, it is really not a "design revolution" and "peak tradition".
Finally, I personally believe that as an "old-time product category", the iPhone is really unlikely to use any trendy design. According to DSCC analyst Ross Young, Apple is now more interested in folding screen laptops than folding screen phones. As domestic practitioners often hang on the lips, Apple wants to go to a new track, to be a leader. As for folding screen phones, that could be a long time later.