Rumors of a foldable iPhone have been circulating for a little while now, and a new report from an industry insider seems to lend credence to the claims. A source that spoke with The Korea Times says that Apple is eyeing LG Display as a "second supplier" for upcoming premium iPhones. The company reportedly will provide advanced organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels for the devices.
Initially, Apple will get between 3 million and 5 million OLED displays from LG Display. LG plans to increase its production capacity," said the source. The insider also shared some info on when Apple users can expect a foldable iPhone model. "Apple is attempting to release new iPhones with enhanced features next year and it is eyeing developing foldable iPhones, which will come several years later," they said.
Back in March, another report speculated that the foldable phones would be coming as soon as 2020. "We expect the iPhones this fall to be largely unchanged for the OLED versions although size changes have proved to be a catalyst in the past," analyst Wamsi Mohan noted. "Our checks also suggest that Apple is working with suppliers on a foldable phone (that potentially could double up as a tablet) for launch in 2020."
It's certainly been quite a few years since foldable phones were top-tier technology, but anyone old enough to remember the Motorolla RAZR knows they were once the most desirable option available. If the reports are to be trusted, history may repeat itself sooner than expected.