It’s one of the biggest companies in the world, but Apple is one of the few tech companies that hasn’t released a foldable device.
That may be about to change, however, as Apple is said to be reading its first folder iPhone – to follow in the footsteps of Samsung, Huawei and Motorola.
Now, MailOnline has turned to AI feeling ChatGPT to imagine what is called ‘iPhone Flip’ will appear.
According to the chatbot, the high-end device will have a flexible OLED display with ultra-thin bezels and a polished titanium finish.
Similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip, it has a horizontal notch between the main screen and the smaller screen that can be used when folded.
“An iPhone like this represents a new evolution and design principle for Apple,” says ChatGPT.
‘It emphasizes sustainable design with high quality materials and innovative products.’
Although this image is a prediction made by AI, 2025 could be the year when Apple will finally unveil the first foldable iPhone.
ChatGPT’s artwork shows a device that looks similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, which was first released in 2020.
For its forecast, ChatGPT analyzed current rumours, trends and ‘speculative reports’ about upcoming events to create this new picture.
In particular, it shows an iPhone with a horizontal cage from left to right, similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, which was first released in 2020.
According to ChatGPT, it has a ‘large OLED screen that stretches across the front when open’ and a stainless steel frame around the edges.
The chatbot says: ‘The display is crisp with minimal bezels and a soft center when unfolded.
With rounded sides and a matte back, it’s available in graphite, silver, or a new deep blue.’
However, the iPhone’s hinge system looks a lot better compared to the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Flip or the Honor Magic V3.
In fact, it looks like there is a big difference between the screens, as if the designer has just combined two screens in the middle.
ChatGPT says the hinge mechanism is ‘obtrusive yet elegant, giving the phone a classy, refined look’.
According to the leaker, internal managers at Apple are speeding up work on the foldable and have entered a ‘development plan’.
The ChatGPT concept is similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, which was first released in 2020. Image, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, released in 2024.
‘The exterior includes glossy glass and titanium, keeping Apple’s signature blend.’
ChatGPT also claims that the foldable iPhone has a triple camera system with a LiDAR scanner for ‘deeper depth and AR (augmented reality) experiences’.
LiDAR (light detection and ranging) measures distance by shooting a laser at a target and analyzing the light that is reflected back – helping AR applications understand the user’s position and movement in real time.
Like iPhone 16 family released in the fall, the foldable will also include 5G support, better battery life and the new A18 chip, essential for major AI-related tasks.
As for the price, ChatGPT predicts that the foldable will be Apple’s most expensive phone.
Considering that the iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at $1,199/$1,199, the convertibles can be purchased between $1,499/$1,499 and $1,999/$1,999, it says.
Of course, ChatGPT itself admits that it can make mistakes, so it’s worth taking AI‘s prediction is a pinch of salt.
Naturally, Apple has been talking for a long time about how its rumors are made, or when it comes to the market; MailOnline has contacted the company for comment.
It’s the biggest company in the world, but Apple is one of the few tech companies that hasn’t released a foldable device (file photo)
Motorola’s redesigned Razr flip mobile has a 6.2-inch screen, which folds in half to close just like the old ‘clamshell’ devices.
But according to Korean analyst Yeux1122, Apple’s internal managers are speeding up work on the device, his name has not yet been confirmed.
It is rumored to be unveiled in 2025 – either at WWDC in June or its annual iPhone event in September – before being released in 2026.
Mark Gurman, a respected Apple tipster in California, has said that the device could be ‘Apple’s best device to date and change the game’.
Meanwhile, Ming-Chi Kuo has said that the first foldable iPhone will have an 8-inch display – much larger than the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s 6.86 inches.
Kuo, an analyst at TF International Securities in Hong Kong, is known to get information about Apple’s plans from his contacts in the Asian industry.
If they are right, it is likely to be ‘Fold’ (which folds straight down like a book) and not ‘Flip’ (clamshell shape, as assumed by ChatGPT).
Unlike several of his opponents such as Samsung, Huawei and Motorola, Apple is still releasing a foldable phone, although for a long time it was rumored to work on one.
Apple seems to have signed up patents on a curved phone, similar to a cell phone, with a horizontal hinge in the middle.
Mark Gurman, a respected Apple tipster in California, has said that the device could be ‘Apple’s best device to date and change the game’.
In 2019, Apple filed a patent showing what appears to be a foldable phone. In the patent, the device can be seen folding closed, similar to a mobile phone, via a central hinge.
Back in 2022, YouTubers in China created a stunning image of what the first foldable iPhone would look like.
The model, called the iPhone V, folds under the hinge in the center of the screen and reveals the silver iPhone logo on the hinge, along with the Apple logo on the back.
It was built by engineers in more than 200 days using the iPhone X and a folding system from Motorola’s Razr.
However, Ben Wood, analyst at CCS Insight, has previously said that there is ‘no reason’ for Apple to move the bendable part at this stage.
“You can be sure that it has had revolutionary technology in the labs for the last decade,” he told MailOnline.
‘But at the moment there is no commercial need for Apple to take the risk of climbing into a niche market when the iPhone is doing so well.’
