iPhone Flip could solve one of the biggest problems with foldable phones — here's how

iPhone Flip render
(Image credit: 4RMD)

For a product that could still be years away from launching, the iPhone Flip grabs attention like nothing else. While Apple hasn't said a word about its alleged foldable phone, or rumored foldable MacBook/iPad, there are still plenty of rumors going around. The latest one claims that iPhone Flip will be getting a a battery-saving display upgrade that could help it challenge the best foldable phones.

Tipster Phone Chip Expert on Weibo claims that Apple's foldable display "pays attention to power consumption," and that the screen's integrated driver circuit has been upgraded from a 28nm process to a smaller 16nm one.

Refining or wasting time?

Apple is certainly taking its time with its foldable phone. While we should see the iPhone 17 series on schedule this September, the foldable iPhone may still be two years away.

Meanwhile, we'll likely see Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 later this year, along with an update for the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and hopefully a sequel to the fantastic OnePlus Open early in 2026. Not to mention lots of other foldables from smaller brands with more limited market reach.

So while making small changes like improving the efficiency of the display driver could no doubt be worthwhile, we also just want to see this phone arrive before Samsung, Google, OnePlus and others raise the bar for foldables out of reach.

Huawei's already gone a step ahead with the launch of its Mate XT triple foldable, and Samsung's rumored to be working on one of its own. Goodness knows when Apple would get around to making its own version considering it's yet to release any kind of foldable display device.

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Richard Priday
Assistant Phones Editor

Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.

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