Apple Could Release a Foldable iPhone that Doubles as a Tablet in 2020

Prepare for a bender.

When Apple trots out “new” versions of various products in the fall, don’t expect too many particularly awesome innovations in the iPhone line. These things take time. But come 2020, the tech giant may introduce a real sea change in smart phones.

Wall Street firm Bank of America Merrill Lynch reportedly informed clients on Friday that Apple’s Asian partners seemed to confirm this advancement. 

This idea has been out there for a while. CNBC reports BoA/ML analyst Wamsi Mohan wrote in his report to the company’s clients that while upcoming iPhones won’t be all that different, their “checks also suggest that Apple is working with suppliers on a foldable phone (that potentially could double up as a tablet) for launch in 2020.” 

In its unending efforts to beat Apple to the punch, Samsung developed a prototype foldable phone and it’s already been certified in South Korea, as reported in the video below.

iPhone fans with video skills have been making mock-ups of a foldable iPhone for years. Some look a little too obvious, while others, like the one in the following video from 2017, make perfect sense.

None of this is set in stone, obviously, but it’s clear Apple is dead serious about it, based on Mohan’s report. 

How well will such a phone turn out? No idea. At least you won’t care if it’s in your back pocket when you sit down.

h/t CNET