O'Grady's PowerPage

Tag: liquid metal

  • Rumor: Apple may have resolved iPhone Fold crease issue, entered new stage of development and production

    Rumor: Apple may have resolved iPhone Fold crease issue, entered new stage of development and production

    Apple’s purported iPhone Fold project may have hit a new milestone, as the creasing issue that is said to have plagued R&D may have been resolved.

    Per supply chain sources close to the story, the iPhone Fold, which is anticipated to launch in either 2026 or 2027 and have a book-like flexible screen, could have seen a breakthrough in the issue. If so, this would make the iPhone the first with a true crease-free design.

    The crease issue has long been an issue in the existing foldable smartphone market, wherein a frequently flexed section of the screen develops a visible crease, which can lead to cracking and eventually break the screen entirely. Solving the creasing problem will increase the life of the iPhone Fold as well as improve the user experience. Previous reports had indicated that Apple was making progress on improving the issue.

    Where production is concerned, longtime Apple manufacturer Foxconn has reportedly created a production line for the iPhone Fold. If true, this would indicate that the handset has exited the prototyping phase and entered the engineering verification process.

    While it’s unknown as to exactly what Apple’s done to fix the crease problem, it’s thought that this may involve a component that relies on supply chain partners to produce. Samsung is reported to have supplied the folding inner display, while Apple is claimed to have actually designed the panel structure, material processing, and lamination method.

    Apple also worked with two suppliers, Shin Zu Shing and Amphenol, to integrate the panel and the bearing for the hinge. There is also the belief that Apple has included high-strength hinge components produced using liquid metal, minimizing deformation compared to other materials.

    The current rumors for the iPhone Fold handset include a 7.8-inch folding display, accompanied by a 5.5-inch external display for use while the smartphone is folded up.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider and money.udn.com

  • Rumor: iPhone Fold to feature 48-megapixel cameras

    Rumor: iPhone Fold to feature 48-megapixel cameras

    A new rumor surfaced on Thursday about Apple’s upcoming foldable iPhone, set to be released next year.

    In a previous report, industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said he expects the foldable iPhone (or “iPhone Fold” for short) to include a dual-lens rear camera, but Kuo provided no other specifics. Now, prolific Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station claims that those dual lenses will be 48 megapixels each.

    This isn’t too surprising, as the iPhone 16 Pro models feature a 48-megapixel main camera and a 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera. This also ties into the rumored price tag of roughly $2,000 for the iPhone fold.

    It’s thought that the iPhone Fold’s main camera will also likely be capable of iPhone 16 “Fusion,” which combines the high-resolution sensor with smart in-sensor cropping to deliver multiple high-quality focal lengths – like 24mm, 28mm, and 35mm – from a single main camera. A telephoto lens seeems unlikely, though, given the device’s space constraints.

    Kuo has stated that the upcoming handset will have a front-facing camera for both its folded and unfolded states. Other sources have claimed that the inner display features an under-screen selfie camera, while the outer display – in the device’s folded state – will have a hole punch-style front-facing camera.

    Other rumored features of the iPhone Fold include the following:

    • 5.5-inch outer display with 2,088 x 1,422 resolution.
    • 7.8-inch inner display with 2,713 x 1,920 resolution.
    • Touch ID integrated into the Side button (i.e. no Face ID).
    • Liquid metal “crease-free” hinge mechanism.
    • Same high density battery cells as iPhone 17 Air.
    • Titanium chassis.

    An exact launch date is currently unknown, but analysts Ming-Chi Kuo and Jeff Pu say mass production is planned for the second half of 2026. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has also said he expects the device to be launched next year.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and Digital Chat Station

  • Rumor: Next-gen iPhone’s glass could be replaced with Liquidmetal component

    Your next iPhone could be part Robert Patrick from “Terminator 2: Judgement Day”.

    Which, to be honest, was sort of the high point of Robert Patrick’s career.

    Per Korea IT News, a new, questionable rumor from Korea claims that Apple’s next-generation iPhone will replace its glass back with the super-durable Liquidmetal alloy.

    The claim stated that Apple’s sixth-generation iPhone will be made of zirconium, titanium, nickel, copper “and so forth.” It also said it will have a “surface smooth like liquid.”

    Though the report includes references to a general “liquid metal,” the proper noun Liquidmetal refers to an amorphous metal that Apple purchased the exclusive rights to use in 2010. The company behind the material, Liquidmetal Technologies, revealed in March that it was paid US$20 million by Apple in that deal.

    Casting some doubt on Wednesday’s report out of Korea, it goes on to say that the new iPhone is expected to debut at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco in June. Last year, Apple opted to hold off on unveiling the iPhone 4S until well after WWDC, and launched its fifth-generation handset in October.

    This year, most rumors have suggested that Apple plans to hold to a similar timeframe for the launch of a sixth-generation iPhone. It has been rumored that Apple will unveil its next handset in the months of September or October.

    While the WWDC launch reported by Korea IT News is questionable, claims of a metal back for the next iPhone are not new. As far back as last year, there were indications that Apple was working on an all-new iPhone design with a metal back akin to the iPad.

    As for the potential use of Liquidmetal, the company that owns the material announced in March that it had begun shipping commercial parts to “several” unnamed customers. Apple’s Liquidmetal gives it the right to exclusively use the material in electronic products, though it is free to be used in other industries like defense contractors, sports equipment manufacturers and medical suppliers.

    The first product Apple created out of Liquidmetal’s material was an iPhone SIM card ejector tool, but since then there has been no indication that any other products have been crafted from the Liquidmetal alloy.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.