The iPhone Fold design might be losing to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 even before it’s announced
Apple’s first foldable may fall behind Samsung’s devices in one crucial measure.
iPhone Fold render | Image credit — Ming-Chi Kuo
A report by Instant Digital on Weibo claims (source in Chinese) that the frame of the foldable iPhone will measure just 4.8mm. If that information turns out to be true, that could be Apple’s thinnest device, at least when unfolded. The iPhone 16 is 7.8mm thick, and the 13-inch M4 iPad Pro, which Apple says is the thinnest product it has ever created, measures just 5.1mm.
Thinness has always been important for Apple, sometimes to a fault, but this time the company might lag. Even if the iPhone Fold is as thin as claimed, the current generation of foldables is already thinner. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is only 4.2mm thick when unfolded, and the Ivory White version of the Honor Magic V5 measures at just 4.1mm.
More strikingly, the iPhone Fold could fall even further behind when closed. Theoretically, the device could be as slim as 9.6mm when folded, but that’s unlikely, and even Instant Digital warns against such a conclusion. The leaker says that “the thickness of the inner screen frame pad” should be taken into consideration, though they don’t share how thick that element might be.
When folded, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is 8.9mm thick, and the Honor Magic V5 is 8.8mm for its thinner Ivory White version. If we assume that the iPhone Fold also has an extra 0.5mm in the thickness of both sides when folded, it could reach over 10mm. On paper, 9mm and 10mm don’t sound that different, but that’s still over a 10% difference.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 | Image credit — PhoneArena
This rumor is very likely to be close to Apple’s actual achievements. Instant Digital doesn’t have the best track record, but it has made correct claims in the past. Besides, this new report confirms earlier rumors from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who is considered a more reliable source.
In March, Kuo claimed that the iPhone Fold would measure between 4.5mm and 4.8mm when unfolded. That means Apple could still achieve more competitive dimensions for its first foldable smartphone.
I think that the rumor will turn out to be close to the truth. Apple counts on display technology from Samsung, so it would be a surprise if the iPhone Fold manages to outdo the Galaxy Z Fold 7 in that regard. What’s more, Apple will likely focus on other features when promoting its foldable phone, and it’ll compare it to other Apple devices, like it did with the M4 iPad Pro.
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