Apple may encourage Android foldable phone manufacturers to adopt this advanced metal alloy to enhance durability.

Apple is reportedly pursuing a design for its foldable iPhone that prioritizes both a flatter profile and enhanced durability.

Apple’s Foldable iPhone and the Potential Impact on Android Foldables

• Apple plans to utilize Liquidmetal, a durable metal alloy, in the hinge of its upcoming foldable iPhone to enhance durability, flatten the screen, and minimize the crease, with Dongguan EonTec as the exclusive supplier.

• This strategic move by Apple is anticipated to influence Android manufacturers to adopt Liquidmetal in their foldable phones to remain competitive, potentially leading to significant growth in the Liquidmetal market.

• Beyond the hinge material, Apple is also reportedly focusing on improving battery life and reducing the thickness of its foldable device by refining the display driver IC (DDI) to enable a thinner display panel while reducing heat and power consumption.

Apple is reportedly planning to introduce a foldable iPhone featuring Liquidmetal for its hinge, as part of its efforts to enhance durability, maximize screen flatness, and minimize the visibility of screen creases. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has indicated that this innovative approach may have significant implications for the market, potentially prompting Android competitors to adopt Liquidmetal in their foldable devices to maintain competitiveness against Apple. Liquidmetal, which is produced via a die-casting process, has been utilized by Apple in smaller components, but this will mark its first application in a critical mechanical component like the hinge.

The partnership with Dongguan EonTec is highlighted as Apple’s exclusive supplier for Liquidmetal, suggesting a strategic focus on advanced materials to improve foldable technology. Kuo anticipates that the adoption of Liquidmetal could lead to considerable market growth in this material category. In addition to hinge innovations, there are suggestions from tipster yeux1122 that Apple is working on refining the display driver integrated circuit (DDI) to enhance battery life and slim down the foldable model. This improvement aims to convert digital signals from the processor into the analog signals necessary for pixel control, enabling a thinner screen while also mitigating heat generation and power consumption.

Overall, as Apple invests in developing its foldable iPhone with long-lasting materials and optimized components, its competition in the Android market is expected to react by incorporating similar technologies, potentially reshaping the landscape of foldable smartphones.