iPhone Fold is getting closer. Apple has reportedly eliminated the screen crease, and the first 100 units are already in production!

The foldable iPhone is no longer a futuristic concept; it’s starting to look like a real product. The latest reports from UDN suggest that Apple has achieved a true breakthrough in what other manufacturers have been struggling with for years – completely eliminating the visible crease on the screen. Furthermore, a batch of around 100 devices has already been produced as part of the engineering verification testing (EVT) stage.

Apple i Samsung shoulder to shoulder, but… the panel was designed by Apple

Although the internal display for the iPhone Fold is supplied by Samsung, the entire structure of the panel, the material processing, lamination, and key components of the folding mechanism are set to be designed by Apple. The company has reportedly been actively working on redesigning both the panel and the hinge to eliminate the most criticised issue in foldables – the visible crease in the middle of the screen.

According to the source, Apple has achieved a “crease-free design”, thanks to a combination of a proprietary lamination method and a new bearing design developed in collaboration with suppliers New Rixing and Amfeno.

Project enters the EVT stage – around 100 devices are being created

UDN claims that Foxconn (Honghai) has already launched a dedicated production line for the foldable iPhone. This is a sign that the project has moved beyond the prototype phase and into the second stage – Engineering Validation Testing. This is when the first devices are being created, which look almost like the final product and allow Apple to test the operation of all key components in realistic conditions. The number of units at this stage usually hovers around the hundred mark – and apparently, that’s the case this time as well.

The price could hurt. Starting from… $2400?

If the previous leaks are confirmed, the iPhone Fold – possibly sold as iPhone Ultra – will be one of the most expensive mobile devices on the market. It’s said to be priced at around $2400, making it more expensive than most Apple laptops. Release date? The most likely timeframe is next year. One thing is for sure: if Apple has actually solved the folding issue, foldable smartphones have just entered a new era. And the rest of the industry has reason to worry.