We've already got something of an idea about Apple's future plans for a folding iPhone Flip, though Apple hasn’t revealed any details or even confirmed that such a device is in the works. Nevertheless, with rumors and patent filings filling in some information, more imaginative Apple fans have taken to designing a foldable iPhone on Apple’s behalf.
ConceptsiPhone has just given us one of the better iPhone 12 Flip videos on YouTube, showing what an Apple foldable phone might be capable of if it ever appears. The video highlights everything from the phone’s outer display to a full-screen layout once the device flips open.
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The render in the ConcepsiPhone video shows off an external display that would presumably be used for quick notifications before flipping around to the front, which resembles a lengthier iPhone. When folded at a 90-degree angle, the front display still resembles the traditional iOS array, showing activity and clock widgets at the top of the screen, similar to what you’ll see in iOS 14.
Perhaps the most impressive part of the clip is the jaw-dropping realism where two iPhone Flips — one that’s unfolded and the other folded up — are arranged on a wood-paneled surface to show off their contrasting sizes. The closed iPhone 12 Flip than opens and unfolds, spinning to reveal shiny aluminum bezels with what appears to be a USB Type-C charge port as well as the iconic Apple logo in the same place it's always been: near the top center of the back of the phone.
At the end of the video, a $1,999 price tag appears. While that’s at the high end of what foldable phones are going for these days, it’s the kind of price that’s sure to burst anyone’s bubble as they imagine a foldable iPhone.
The concept video definitely looks like something that could come out of Cupertino, even if some iPhone Flip rumors suggest Apple’s going to take a slightly different tack. A patent filing from earlier in the year suggests Apple is looking at a curved hinge design, while another rumor points to Apple using two separate display panels on a hinge. What we see in the concept video looks a lot more like the Galaxy Z Flip — certainly a fine phone, but not one that Apple’s likely to copy if it comes out with its own foldable.
And that’s a big if. Even with the concept video calling this the iPhone 12 Flip, we’re unlikely to see such a device alongside the other iPhone 12 models this fall. Apple is rumored to be producing four conventional-looking models, leaving the folding phones to future releases… or to the imaginations of concept designers.
