New iPhone And iPad Models Could Feature Folding Screens & Cost $600 More

Apple is expected to unveil its next-generation iPhone at an event next month, but devices that are a bit further down the pipeline might be far more interesting to consumers, according to a report Wednesday from CNBC.

According to the CNBC report, a high percentage of smartphone customers surveyed by UBS said they were interested in purchasing a folding smartphone. UBS noted that Samsung holds many important patents on folding phones, but said Apple is still working on its own technology that could be launched as early as next year, though a launch in 2021 is more likely, per the CNBC report.

Users can expect to pay upwards of $600 more for these devices when they’re released, according to CNBC. UBS said that the folding display technology will be more likely first found in Apple’s iPad model before showing up in its iPhone offerings.

In June, Apple unveiled iPad OS 13, an upgraded version of its iOS software that is meant to enhance user experience on its iPad models by adding more advanced features like enhanced multitasking and support for mouse input, per Digital Times. That update will be available to current iPad users in the fall.

While this would be Apple’s first foray into foldable display technology, it would not be the first for a popular smartphone manufacturer. Samsung attempted to release a folding smartphone earlier this year called the Galaxy Fold. About three months ago, Samsung attempted to release the Galaxy Fold but had to put the product on hold following early reviews that showed that its screen was easily damaged, per CNET.

Are you ready to go back to the time of the flip phone? https://t.co/u8q57uPbQk

— CNBC (@CNBC) August 7, 2019

According to CNET, Samsung plans to relaunch its Galaxy Fold within the coming weeks but hasn’t specified a launch date. The company said it changed several things about the folding smartphone, including modifying a protective coating on the display that early reviewers mistakenly thought was meant to be removed. Other parts of the device have been strengthened, Samsung said, to better protect the device, per the CNET report.

While Apple will not be the first to feature a foldable display, the Cupertino company typically waits before introducing new technologies to consumers. The company, notably, did not include 3G wireless technology in its original iPhone and took years to make its phones’ displays larger after competitors like Samsung released larger screens.

Per a previous report from The Inquisitr, Apple’s iPhone 11 models will likely disappoint users, as they will be largely unchanged from the Cupertino company’s 2017 iPhone X and 2018’s iPhone XS, XS Max and XR. Next year’s 2020 iPhones, which are not expected to get the folding screens, will likely have new screen sizes and technology, though, according to recent reports.