Apple reportedly begins testing foldable displays for iPhone, iPad

Apple is testing a new foldable OLED panel that will not feature the polariser layer in what could be an achievement in the foldable display technology.

HIGHLIGHTS

Apple has reportedly started working on a foldable display for iPhone and iPad.

The display will lack the polariser layer and that will make the display thinner.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 also comes with the same technology

For a long time, people have anticipated Apple would launch a foldable iPhone, but over the past few years, the time during which major Android brands such as Samsung, Xiaomi, 

Oppo, Vivo, and Motorola launched their foldable devices, the interest has grown. While Apple likes to keep mum about the products it is developing, a new report has suggested the company is developing a new foldable OLED screen for the iPhone and iPad.

South Korean publication The Elec has said Apple is testing a new foldable OLED panel that will not feature the polariser layer in what could be an achievement in the foldable display technology. 

Some of the existing foldable phones and devices use the polariser layer to allow light to pass only in certain directions, causing the display to appear clearer. 

But it adds up to the thickness of the overall screen unit. By removing this layer, Apple will likely be able to make foldable panels thinner.

While a polariser-free display is significantly thinner than the conventional one, it has its own shortfalls. For instance, this display has less visibility and offers less peak brightness comparatively. 

So, manufacturers are forced to increase the power consumption to ensure the visibility and brightness are on par with the conventional ones and this impacts battery longevity. 

Samsung’s latest Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Eco2OLED display use the same polariser-less display technology, which means Apple will not be the first to remove the polariser layer from the foldable screen unit. 

But it will be interesting to see how Apple fixes the battery issue that is inevitable — at least for now — with this polariser-less display technology.

Apple testing the display does not mean it is planning to launch the foldable iPhone or the foldable iPad anytime soon. 

It will probably take years to finesse the technology before it feels the product is ready for launch. 

This is also what experts believe. Renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously predicted that Apple’s first foldable iPhone is not coming before 2025. 

That is a vague estimation because Kuo is not sure if the foldable iPhone will be released in 2025 or 2026 or even later.

The existing foldable market is dominated by Samsung, which has launched five devices so far. Initially met with criticism for the subpar quality of the display, Samsung Galaxy’s foldable devices improved over time with better material and display technology. Later,

 Motorola joined with a reimagined Razr that had a vertical foldable design. 

Then, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo also entered the fray by launching their own versions of foldable phones, each having a unique feature but more or less the same design as the original Samsung Galaxy Fold.

That is because foldable phones probably serve the purpose of both a phone and a tablet in that design. If Apple is also planning to give users the same utility, the next foldable iPhone may also end up looking like the Samsung Galaxy Fold