Apple Reportedly Developing Foldable iPhone Screen Prototype

Apple has designs to build a foldable phone, and the company has already begun prototyping foldable iPhone screens internally, according to an initial report from Bloomberg.

This could change everything.

RELATED: 7 HIGHLIGHTS OF FOLDABLE SMARTPHONES: A BRIEF HISTORY OF FOLDABLE DESIGN

Apple reportedly prototyping foldable iPhone screens

The final product is still years from becoming a reality, according to the report, and the company is only developing as of writing — leaving the rest of a future Apple phone that's sure to intrigue consumers who've grown weary of the ever-increasing size of smartphones in general.

UPDATE Jan. 15, 6:10 PM EST: Apple's foldable iPhone screen might come in several sizes

The early prototypes sound a lot like the foldable screens that Motorola, Samsung, and others manufacture. But Apple is interested in producing foldable screens with a "mostly invisible hinge," capable of unfolding to roughly the size of an iPhone 12 Pro Max, says the Bloomberg report.

It also says the new foldable iPhone could come in several screen sizes.

UPDATE Jan. 15, 6:15 PM EST: Apple will have ground to cover

As of writing, Apple has expressed zero public interest in creating a foldable phone, but then again we're talking about a company whose reputation for entering product categories to a dumbfounded world precedes it. Rivals of the company are already ahead in the foldable phone market, with Motorola and Samsung have already released several generations of folding smartphones.

Samsung's Galaxy Fold was released in April 2019 — despite a snag or two.

UPDATE Jan. 15, 6:20 PM EST: Foldable more feasible for Apple amid COVID-19, facemasks interfere with Face ID

However, the Bloomberg report shared some other updates on Apple products in 2021. This year's new iPhone is slated to come with "minor upgrades" but they may include a critical improvement — namely, an in-screen fingerprint sensor.

In 2019, Bloomberg said Apple was thinking about the foldable feature for 2020. But a foldable action is more feasible in 2021, since the broad adoption of facemasks has made Face ID less practical.

The idea of a foldable Apple iPhone will likely pique increased interest among consumers in the company's product lineup, if such a thing is possible. We are talking about Apple. While we can't say exactly when Apple's future foray into foldable phones will happen, sometime sooner would be far greater than later.