Apple’s Foldable iPhone Could Crush Samsung with One Clever Trick | Image Source: www.macrumors.com
Cupertino, California, March 17, 2025 – Apple’s early entry into the folding telephone market is finally taking shape, and from what we’ve gathered so far, the company is not just immerse its fingers in the water. It enters with a meticulously designed design that places durability, battery efficiency and visualization quality in the vanguard. According to several reliable sources, including the Ming-Chi Kuo analyst and the Phone Chip Expert filter, Apple plans to use a liquid metal hinge on its next folding iPhone to solve persistent problems seen on competing devices such as Samsung Galaxy Z Fold.
As the folding market accelerates and as competitors fight against screen folds, the short battery life and fragile hinges, Apple seems determined to face these obstacles completely. The next folding iPhone - scheduled to enter mass production at the end of 2026 - promises an elegant screen, minimized by the fold, longer battery life and a possible hybrid brother MacBook-iPad. Target? A seamless folding experience that ends up living up to the fig.
Why? Apple uses liquid metal for hinge?
Liquid metal may look like something like a science fiction film, but it’s very real, and Apple thinks it’s the key to solving one of the biggest headaches of folding: screen folds. As Ming-Chi Kuo, a prominent Apple analyst, said, the company selected a liquid metal alloy for its folding iPhone fixation mechanism. Made with a casting process, this material is not new in Apple, it has already been used in SIM ejector tools. However, the folding iPhone marks Apple’s first use of liquid metal in a structural and mechanical part.
What makes him special? Liquid metal offers exceptional strength and elasticity. Unlike traditional metals that can be reversed or deformed over time, this alloy retains its form under stress. This is particularly crucial for a component like the hinge, which will be flexed thousands of times throughout the life of the device. According to Kuo, this option will not only increase the durability of the device, but also significantly reduce the fold of the screen often seen in current folds.
Dongguan EonTec would have been Apple’s exclusive supplier of liquid metal components. This exclusivity could ensure consistency of quality and performance, giving Apple a unique advantage in material engineering.
What will the folding iPhone look like?
From what has been revealed, Apple is foldable The iPhone will lean more towards a book style, similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold series, more than the shell style of the Galaxy Z Flip. When it develops, it is planned to have a 7.8-inch screen, while the cover screen measures 5.5 inches, according to Kuo’s previous forecasts. This size would place it in close competition with the Google Pixel Fold, potentially offering users a more immersive experience for productivity and entertainment.
In terms of thickness, the folding iPhone is supposed to measure only 4.5mm when open, so it is still Apple’s thinner device. Bend, it will accumulate up to 9mm to 9.5mm, compatible with other folds on the market. In camera, it is said to have two rear lenses and one front shooter. Interestingly, the device can include Touch ID in the power button instead of Face ID, echoing the design decisions seen in recent iPads.
This suggests Apple is looking for ways to keep the device elegant without sacrificing the essential features. But don’t be mistaken: the hinge will be the real star here, and Apple’s use of liquid metal could be an important point of conversation.
How does Apple’s battery life improve?
Folding phones are known for their electrical inefficiency. Larger screens require more juice, and when combined with compact shape factors, they often lead to the performance of the mediating battery. However, Apple seems to tackle this with a major hardware change: reduce the integrated screen controller (IC) circuit from 28nm to 16nm. According to the Chinese Phone Chip Expert, this change could significantly improve battery efficiency by reducing energy consumption without sacrificing performance.
Apple has always published “the whole life of the battery” as a key point of sale, and on a folding device, it becomes even more critical. The thinner IC not only consumes less energy, but also releases internal space – possibly allowing a larger battery or other performance starters. So true, this movement could give Apple an advantage over Samsung, whose folds have often attracted criticism for battery life.
It’s a smart strategy. Apple understands that battery life is a manufacturing or breaking function, especially in a premium category where users expect their devices to last a day full of multitasking, streaming and more. If rumors are accurate, Apple’s first folding could beat competitors in this key area.
Is a MacBook-iPad hybrid folding also in the works?
The folding iPhone is not the only device that moves buzzing. According to analyst Jeff Pu, Apple is also developing an 18.8-inch folding device that could work like a MacBook- iPad hybrid. Pu suggests that this larger device could work macOS, not iPadOS, a bold prediction that aligns with the recent reports of Bloomberg’s The Wall Street Journal and Mark Gurman. According to these sources, Apple is preparing software level changes in iOS 19 and macOS 16 to adapt to folding hardware designs.
What does that mean? Essentially, we could watch the first touch screen MacBook, capable of becoming a tablet on request. It’s not just a trick; It would be a complete overhaul of the laptop. Users can draw with an Apple Pencil at once and encode in the next Xcode, all on the same device. Of course, this remains speculative, and as Pu himself points out, scepticism is justified. But if Apple removes it, redefine what we expect from laptops and tablets.
For the moment, however, the folding iPhone seems closer to reality, with the production planned to start at Q4 2026. The largest folding device, if it exists, could follow shortly thereafter.
How will he compete with Samsung?
Samsung has a multi-year start on the folding market, but Apple’s meticulous approach could match the rules of the game. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 should arrive before Apple’s offer and include progressive improvements in screen efficiency and hinge durability. However, the clever use of Apple’s liquid metal, battery saving IC and refined software could offer a more polished experience outside the door.
In addition, the integration of Apple’s ecosystems is a great advantage. Imagine developing your iPhone and instantly collecting where it was left on your MacBook or iPad. Seamless continuity functions like Handoff, Universal Clipboard and AirDrop could make Apple folding more than another phone, could become a center for your digital life.
Of course, Samsung isn’t up yet. The reports suggest that they also work on new hinge mechanisms and display technology to minimize the creation and extended battery life. It will be a fierce battle, but the only material options and Apple’s ecosystem could give it the edge.
Q Pulamp; A: Apple iPhone folding
When will Apple’s foldable iPhone be released?
Mass production is expected to begin at the end of 2026, with a likely start in early 2027.
What is special about the hinge?
Apple plans to use a liquid metal hinge, which offers greater durability and reduces the folding of the screen.
Will the device have good battery life?
Apple uses a more efficient 16nm screen controller to improve battery life.
What size will the foldable iPhone be?
It will feature a 7.8-inch inside screen and a 5.5-inch cover screen.
Are there other foldables coming from Apple?
Yes, a larger 18.8-inch MacBook. iPad hybrid is also rumored to grow.
Will the foldable iPhone have Face ID?
No, you must use Touch ID integrated with the power button.
Who is supplying the liquid metal?
Dongguan EonTec will be Apple’s exclusive supplier of liquid metal components.
In short, the folding journey of the Apple device is no longer just speculative, it gains in fast traction. From material science to battery optimization and ecosystem integration, Apple seems to be naive in its path beyond the obstacles that hindered the first folding. Whether it is the innovative use of liquid metal or the MacBook-iPad hybrid, the years 2026 and 2027 are being transformed for Apple, and potentially for the entire folding technology.
