The world now has its first foldable iPhone, but Apple did not make it.
China-based YouTuber Rock, who runs The Aesthetics of Science and Technology channel, recently uploaded a video wherein he modified an iPhone to make it foldable using parts from another foldable phone.
You may remember that Apple is developing OLED panels that could be used for foldable displays in the future, with the company rumored to be testing two different kinds of foldable iPhones in early April.
DIY Foldable iPhone Details
Rock mentioned in their video that they were able to modify an iPhone X with spare parts from a Motorola RAZR, a foldable phone, to create what a foldable iPhone could look like in practice.
According to Engadget, they also made their own 3D-printed elements and made the iPhone X's screen more flexible than it originally was. They had done so by delaminating the screen and using suitable replacements for its glass and touch layers, per Apple Insider.
The iPhone X was also jailbroken to allow Apple's software to run while introducing features like split-screen mode into the phone - a feature not normally available in an iPhone.
However, many of the iPhone X's features and components were removed to create more internal space. For example, the iPhone X's battery was replaced with a smaller custom battery with only 1000mAh of capacity - a quarter of the power of most iPhones.
Meanwhile, all of the components required for the iPhone's wireless charging and MagSafe features were removed for the same reason. These changes also resulted in the loss of the iPhone X's water resistance and any real-world durability.
When Rock finished their build, it was far from ideal and was very much a prototype foldable iPhone. Although the now heavily modified iPhone, called iPhone V, was working and functioning as one, its modded iOS wasn't optimized for flexible displays like Samsung's software is for its Galaxy Z foldable phone series.
The reason for this problem is that iPhone iOS software was meant to be used for straight-screen phones and not foldable ones. As such, the camera interface is completely distorted and unusable for taking pictures.
There is also a wide gap when folded, so it isn't fully foldable like Samsung's. Thankfully, however, the screen's increased flexibility doesn't leave creases when folded.
Despite these setbacks, Rock wants to further improve and eventually perfect the process and design of their iPhone V over time, with them calling this prototype "0.1."
Foldable iPhones In The Future
iPhone fans who wish for a foldable version may have to wait a little longer for foldable iPhones to grace Apple Store shelves. According to a CNBC article, Apple plans to launch a foldable iPad rather than a foldable iPhone in 2024.
Analyst firm CCS Insight said that it doesn't make sense for apple to create a foldable iPhone as they believe that they would prefer to create a foldable iPad than a foldable iPhone.
Ben wood, CCS Insight's Chief of Research, mentioned that a folding iPhone would be "super high risk" for Apple because developing one would be expensive to avoid cannibalizing exisiting iPhones.
This cost will be passed onto interested customers, with a foldable iPhone potentially costing around $2,500 - about $900 more expensive than the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
