The foldable iPhone display has had to make a compromise

More details are emerging about the upcoming foldable iPhone, including how Apple has decided to tackle the display crease and the fragility that comes with folding screens. A new leak shines some light on multiple key factors of the phone, including discussing how the company might have had to compromise on one aspect to improve the other.

In addition, the report (translated source) also reveals that a previous leak about the phone’s hinge is likely incorrect. This is because Apple has decided to cut back on a number of expensive manufacturing techniques to help keep the price of the foldable iPhone in check.

The foldable iPhone display compromise

Apple took ages before deciding to enter the foldable smartphone market because the company wanted to make a phone that had no display crease at all. Though this hasn’t been possible for the first generation of the upcoming foldable flagship, the phone will make use of one of the most advanced hinges that the industry has ever seen.

But Apple did still pour lots of cash into making the display crease as unnoticeable as possible given the current technology that it had to work with, and this is where the compromise comes in. According to the report, the UTG (ultra-thin glass) that the company is using for its foldable will have a thickness of less than 30 micrometers.

This is less than most other competing foldable phones on the market. In fact, according to reports, Samsung used UTG as thick as 30 micrometers before the Galaxy Z Fold 7, for which it allegedly increased the thickness for better durability.

Apple’s solution means that the display will be more flexible and will be able to better hide any dents that form into prominent and permanent creases. However, it also means that said display is going to be a lot more fragile and a lot more susceptible to cracking from accidental falls or other hard knocks.

The report alleges that the phone will use “self-healing” glass, which might or might not be able to hide very minor scratches and stress marks that develop over time. However, ultimately, Apple has bet on aesthetics driving sales more than the promise of durability, and I think that the company has probably bet on the right thing.

A hinge to keep the price low

Let’s be honest, a price of over $2,000 for a smartphone is not low, but the reported prices for the foldable iPhone are still a lot lower than anyone had initially expected. According to this report, the tipster’s previous claims of a 256 GB foldable iPhone costing around $2,200 are accurate, much more palatable than early reports that would push figures up to and above $2,500.

To achieve this price tag, Apple has apparently taken two measures. First, the company is allegedly only using UTG for its foldable and not a hybrid solution that also uses UFG (ultra-thin flexible glass) as a recent leak had claimed.

This means that the company is betting on UTG alone to be durable enough for everyday use. Also contrary to a previous leak, the hinge will not be a no-contact solution according to this report. While that would have meant less stress on the display of the foldable iPhone, it also would have cost more to manufacture.

Lastly, instead of expensive precision machining, Apple will be using filler for irregularities across the 3D-printed titanium hinge. This should help lower manufacturing costs as well as the stress that the display would have felt from a hinge that didn’t use this technique to fill in extremely tiny gaps and holes.

I expect sales to skyrocket

While I think that you shouldn’t buy the foldable iPhone (at least not this year), we all know that Apple’s new phone is going to set sales records across the globe. After all, if the more expensive Galaxy Z TriFold can sell out in mere minutes of its launch, then the highly anticipated foldable iPhone probably can too.

I also think that Apple’s decision to keep the pricing in check, relatively speaking, might help it snatch some market share from other companies in the foldable segment as well. Follow me on X and Threads so you can see me telling everyone “I told you so” when the foldable iPhone smashes sales expectations later this year.