The foldable iPhone rumours are starting to sound exciting – all thanks to Samsung

Samsung loves to mock Apple for still not having a foldable phone, but it turns out that the South Korean tech giant may be the one that helps make it happen.

We've been hearing rumours about a foldable iPhone (and foldable iPad) for years, but the reports have been getting more convincing, with some saying an iPhone Fold will finally arrive next year. The latest rumour is that Samsung is contributing a brand new display tech that could it something special.

Since Apple's late to the foldable phone market, it needs something special to stand out. We've heard before that this something special may be that Holy Grail of foldable devices: a creaseless screen. Ironically, it seems that Samsung may be the one making it.

As reported by MacRumors, yeux1122 on the Korean Naver blog, who claims to have sources among Apple suppliers says the foldable iPhone will have a trademarked custom display process never before used on a foldable. It will be manufactured by Samsung but will be thinner and more efficient that any displays on Samsung's own foldables so far.

The report suggests that Samsung has managed to make the display thinner and lighter by integrating the touch sensor directly into the panel, reducing thickness by 19% compared to current Galaxy Z Fold, which uses a separate touch layer on top of the OLED panel.

Apple's iPhones already use in-cell touch, integrating the touch layer in the TFT layer, but doing this on a foldable OLED is more challenging due to mechanical stress and hinge durability.

According to yeux1122, the folding iPhone will have a 'bar-type' design that would look like a standard iPhone when unfolded, backing up previous rumours that the crease in the display will be close to invisible. The new display would reportedly also improve colour reproduction and both peak and typical brightness levels.

Apple has tended to use Samsung and LG to make its iPhone displays, so it's not new for it to contract the South Korean manufacturer. What's a little ironic is that how Samsung has mocked Apple for not having a foldable and may be about to help it deliver a superior device to its own.

I've always had mixed feelings about the usefulness of foldable phones, but if it's going to fold, then a ceaseless design would definitely be a selling point. Previous rumours suggest the foldable iPhone could have a book-style design with a 7.8-inch inner display and a 5.5-inch outer display, which sounds like not that much more screen for the money.

If it's effectively an iPhone and iPhone mini in one, it could be a winner, but the clincher may be just how invisible that crease is. "Almost invisible" isn't the same as creaseless. The other matter is price, with some rumours suggesting it will cost, which could mean that it ends up being a niche product.

A foldable iPhone was never going to be cheap, but the analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has suggested that it would retail at between $2,000 and $2,500, while the Samsung Z Fold 6 starts at $1,899 and is often discounted (see below for any current deals).