2019 may be the year of the foldable phone, but Apple seems to be ignoring the hype. Now, in a recent interview, Steve Wozniak, co-founder of the company, claimed he also wants to see a foldable iPhone this year.
While Flex Royole’s tablet may have arrived first, the race to create a folding device officially began with Samsung’s Galaxy Fold. Shortly after its release, Huawei also released its foldable Mate X.
Although other phone manufacturers such as Xiaomi, Oppo, and Motorola expect to join the foldable device race this year, one company is noticeably absent – Apple. And that worries every tech enthusiast, including the company’s co-founder, Steve Wozniak.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Wozniak said that Apple is pushing the boundaries in various areas such as touch and facial ID, as well as secure payment with the iPhone. Unfortunately, the company still lags behind in foldable phones.
“They’re not the leader in areas like the folding phone, and that worries me because I really want a folding phone.” Wozniak told Bloomberg.
Wozniak explained that folding phones are one of those technologies that can quickly catch attention.
Not only did the new technology catch the attention of the co-founder, but Apple’s too. Based on a patent application update in February, Apple has drawn a blueprint of its foldable iPhone.
While several manufacturers may have beaten Apple to the punch, it appears the company was considering the idea for some time.
Reports reveal that Apple filed a foldable iPhone patent back in 2014, with approval two years later. Earlier this month, the United States Patent and Trademark Office published Apple’s recent update to the application.
“It would be desirable to be able to use flexible display technology to provide improved electronic devices,” Apple writes in the application.
So, when will we see a foldable iPhone?
According to Wall Street firm, Merrill Lynch, Apple plans to release its first foldable device in 2020. Other rumors on the Internet appear to support this release date.
That means Wozniak may have to wait for just one more year to get a foldable iPhone. Until then, the Apple co-founder may have to purchase Samsung’s Galaxy Fold or Huawei’s Mate X to experience the new bendy technology.
You can watch Wozniak’s 10 minute interview here.
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