{"id":65183,"date":"2026-03-10T21:30:43","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T20:30:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.apfelpatient.de\/?p=65183"},"modified":"2026-03-10T21:30:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T20:30:49","slug":"apples-initial-plan-for-the-iphone-fold-was-completely-different","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.apfelpatient.de\/en\/rumors\/iphone-fold-apples-erster-plan-sah-ganz-anders-aus","title":{"rendered":"iPhone Fold: Apple's initial plan was completely different"},"content":{"rendered":"

The iPhone Fold is considered one of the most exciting upcoming Apple products. Several reports and leaks suggest that Apple is close to launching its first foldable iPhone. The device is said to unfold like a book and offer a significantly larger display when open.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, new information reveals that Apple originally pursued a completely different concept. According to this information, the company initially worked on a folding design that could be folded vertically. This concept was later abandoned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Foldable smartphones are now available in two main variants: devices in a book design that open like a book, and so-called flip models that can be folded vertically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apple apparently examined both approaches internally. According to recent leaks, however, the company decided against the folding design, as it did not offer sufficient added value from Apple's perspective and simultaneously entailed technical disadvantages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apple's original folding design<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

According to reports from July 2024<\/a>, the first iPhone Fold was originally intended to have a top-down folding design. This concept would have been similar in design to existing flip smartphones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The biggest advantage of such a design lies in its compactness. When folded, the smartphone would have been significantly smaller and would have easily fit into a narrow jeans or trouser pocket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, in March 2025<\/a>, Apple changed its strategy and opted instead for a foldable, book-style device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leak explains the decision<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Weibo leaker Instant Digital published a post<\/a> explaining the reasons for this decision. According to him, many developers at Apple considered the folding design "unnecessary".<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main argument for a flip device would simply have been its smaller size when folded. However, this design would hardly have created any new application scenarios. And that's precisely what Apple places great emphasis on with new hardware products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technical disadvantages of the flip design<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Another reason for the decision against the folding design was technical limitations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hinge divides the interior of a small flip phone into two compartments. This severely limits the available space inside the casing. This would have caused several problems:<\/p>\n\n\n\n