What to Know About will Apple’s foldable iPhone perfect the creaseless screen?

There’s good news for those eagerly awaiting Apple’s 9 September “Surprise and Shine” event, at which we expect the brand’s first foldable iPhone to debut.

The iPhone Ultra (or whatever it’ll be finally and officially named) performed well in early testing, according to Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter, published at the start of this week.

The positive feedback should be no surprise to anyone with an interest in foldables or in Apple devices generally.

It’s well known that Apple doesn’t rush into a new product area unless it believes it has smoothed out the kinks and ruffles of early models. Where foldables are concerned, it left it up to Samsung and rivals to blunder in, debug early design and deal with the displeasure of people who’d paid top dollar for stiff hinges, dust ingress and a lack of compatible apps.

Apple intends to roll up fashionably late and snaffle all the praise for a device that’s both functional and a pleasure to use. And so far, all signs point to success. Gurman said that users reported positively on the iPad-like layouts for the phone’s large internal screen. The durable hinge also received praise, as did the phone’s size, with people enjoying the fact that the device can slip into a pocket with ease.

This is pretty heady stuff for a tech enthusiast to consider. It’s been a long time since we heard people getting excited about the tactile aspects of a phone, particularly this year, when brands have been ever more software-focused, with the AI features battle in mind.

Meanwhile, the RAM crisis has forced manufacturers into increasingly conservative upgrades where hardware is concerned. The latest flagships from Samsung and Google Pixel are more iterative than ever and there’s very little to say about them, unless you can get worked up about the HiLight feature (which is a big ask).

Luke Baker

To crease, or not to crease

But there’s a curious omission when it comes to the iPhone foldable feedback. Why was the lack of a crease not mentioned?

Some background here: it has long been thought that one of the design hurdles that delayed Apple’s entry into the foldables market was the very visible crease that plagues rival folding screens. When the Ultra went into production, it was therefore surmised that Apple had cracked it.

The crease in the centre of a foldable is a tricky business. Not only does it mar the look of a screen, but it can grow more visible over time. And, while things have improved in this area over successive generations of rival phones, the perfectly creaseless screen still exists only in our wistful imaginations.

Take the latest flagship foldable releases, for example. Our Mobile Editor, Anyron Copeman, reviewing the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, said that its new aluminium hinge “significantly reduces the influence of the crease. While not totally invisible, it’s another big step in the right direction” – but as you can see from this image, it’s very clearly still there.

Luke Baker

Meanwhile, Luke Baker’s review of the wide Galaxy Z Fold 8 notes a “much shallower crease that’s almost imperceptible when viewed head-on”. And yet, it is perceptible.

Luke Baker

So, has Apple cracked it or not?

It’s possible that the testers Gurman referred to were asked not to pass on their opinions of this design element, to retain a little surprise and awe for the big reveal. After all, almost every other aspect of the phone has leaked, from dimensions to colours to features. And they did mention the durability of Apple’s innovative “liquid metal” hinge, which will have a significant part to play in crease visibility.

Or, could it be that there will be a little disappointment in the air when people finally get their hands on the long-awaited device. 

Either way, Apple’s foldable still has hardware limitations. It’s expected to miss out on a telephoto lens and buyers will have to do without FaceID in favour of Touch ID. It’s also thought to lack an action button and MagSafe. These omissions may be harder to stomach than a little line down the centre, considering the Ultra’s forecast price point, which is well north of $2,000.