The development of smart phones has passed the stage of rapid development and entered the stage of market stock. How to find ways to innovate and re-energize the market has become an inevitable challenge for all mobile phone manufacturers.
After the software and hardware of mobile phones are becoming mature and showing a high degree of homogeneity, mobile phone manufacturers have begun to take a different approach and put forward the concept of "folding screen". After several years of exploration, the folding screen has also been transformed from a concept machine to a practical machine.
Judging from the current market, various mobile phone manufacturers have basically launched folding screen mobile phones, and only a few do not have folding screen products, but there are also news that they are in the research and development state.
As a major international manufacturer, Apple has not heard much news about folding screens, which is really confusing. After all, in the eyes of most people, Apple obviously has the strength to develop folding screen phones.
Recently, a blogger broke the news that Apple currently has two folding screen models under development, corresponding to the horizontal half-folding and vertical clamshell models that are popular in the industry today.
It is understood that the internal screen size of the horizontal folding screen is 8.9 inches, which is equivalent to the size of two iPhone Pro Max combined, and the final mass production version may be larger. The vertical screen model uses a 7-inch screen, and there is no secondary screen after folding.
As for color matching, it is expected that the final commercial version will not be determined until May next year.
At the same time, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also said that Apple is testing a 9-inch foldable display device, similar to a hybrid of the iPhone and iPad, but he speculated that the iPhone foldable screen is unlikely to be launched before 2025, but may be It will start with medium and large devices, and then expand to small devices like the iPhone.
In addition, in another recent news, a new Apple patent called "electronic device with flexible display cover" was exposed. To mitigate the number of dents, scratches or other defects in the display cover, Apple believes it could cover the display with a material made of an "elastomer," according to the patent.
Self-healing like "memory foam". In this way, the patent can not only minimize damage to foldable devices, but also a method of self-healing when damage occurs, and the current screen crease problem in the folding screen industry can be effectively solved.
Based on the above two revelations, it is indeed possible that Apple is developing a folding screen device and trying to solve the screen crease problem that has been criticized by users.
This also means that Apple has not given up on the folding screen mobile phone market, but has already started the layout, but the development cycle is relatively long, so Apple has not released any news of folding screen products.
However, in the author's opinion, the screen crease of the folding screen is essentially a physical problem. As long as there are folds, there will be traces, and as the number of folds increases, the creases will become more and more obvious. This is a physical law that is difficult to violate.
If Apple's new patent can really be put into use, it will be a cure for the symptoms rather than the root cause. It can only be said that it will prolong the service life of the screen to a certain extent.
However, as the time of using the phone increases, the crease will still gradually become obvious, and the user's screen experience is bound to be greatly reduced. From this point of view, the folding screen seems to be another false proposition. It is more like a consumable item. It is tasteless after consumption, and it is a pity to discard it.
Of course, it is undeniable that as a product of the times, the appearance of folding screen mobile phones naturally has its reasons. Perhaps it is the real demand orientation of users, or it may be the spontaneous innovation attempt of the manufacturer. The reasons are complex and detailed.
But in any case, at least for now, it opens up new possibilities for the mobile phone industry. As for whether the folding screen mobile phone can be folded into a new era, or it will be folded by the era, it will take a long time to verify in the future.
