Rumors of a new foldable iPhone are starting to gain more attention. On Monday, we saw Jon Prosser talk about the possibility of two foldable iPhone designs that were being tested to see which device will become Apple’s first foldable phone, and it seems that the test results are in.
According to the Taiwanese website Economic Daily News, Apple had been testing two foldable iPhone designs in a Foxconn factory in Shenzhen, China, with positive results in both designs. The tests were conducted to see if the hinge system for the two devices would hold up against everyday use, and it seems that both have passed.
The first foldable iPhone to be tested was a dual-screen model, which has been appearing in rumors since June 2020, when Jon Prosser tweeted that this prototype has two separate display panels on a hinge, even though the two separate panels would seem fairly continuous and seamless when extended. We have seen Apple receiving patents for devices that fall under this description, even though they have been aimed more towards iPads, and a double folding device design, which was first seen back in May 2019.
Apple’s “foldable” iPhone isn’t really a foldable.
The current prototype has two separate display panels on a hinge.
Round, stainless steel edges like current iPhone 11 design.
No notch — tiny forehead on outter display that houses Face ID.
The second foldable iPhone is said to have a clamshell design, which would make it look like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip or the Moto RAZR. Now, this device is expected to come with a flexible OLED display provided by Samsung, which would’ve already sent several display samples to Apple for testing purposes earlier in 2020.
In a recent video, Jon Prosser said that Apple was going to have to pick one of these two foldable iPhone designs, as only one of them would make it to the market. However, we may have to wait until late 2022 or 2023 to see this new foldable iPhone hit the shelves.
The ongoing US-China trade war has been an ugly saga, involving everything from app bans over data security concerns, trade prohibitions over espionage charges using telecom equipment, and raised tariffs that have thrown the future of many companies into jeopardy. The latest company to face the heat is Apple, which has reportedly decided to shift the production of MacBooks and iPads to Vietnam, away from China. It must be noted that chief Apple supply partner – Foxconn – is only moving some iPad and MacBook assembly away from China, and not in its entirety.
“The move was requested by Apple,” a person familiar with the recent developments was quoted as saying by Reuters. “It wants to diversify production following the trade war.” The major shift is reportedly inspired by encouragement from the US government to shift production away from China, prompting Taiwanese firms to look at other destinations such as Vietnam, India, and Mexico to continue serving their deep-pocket US partners such as Apple.
Foxconn is headed towards Vietnam at Apple's request
“Foxconn is building assembly lines for Apple’s iPad tablet and MacBook laptop at its plant in Vietnam’s northeastern Bac Giang province,” the report added. Foxconn’s new assembly line in Vietnam for making MacBooks and iPads is said to become operational in 2021’s first half. However, it is unclear how big a chunk of iPad and MacBook assembly Foxconn is migrating from China to Vietnam.
Foxconn has not shared any details regarding the move, but the company’s latest $270 million investment for setting up a new subsidiary that goes by the name FuKang Technology Co Ltd is reportedly a part of the expansion plans in Vietnam. It is interesting to note that all iPads are exclusively made in China, so this would mark the first time that their assembly is being done out of the country.
Foxconn’s factory in Vietnam will reportedly be used to make TVs for Sony and a few other devices such as keyboards as well. However, Vietnam is not the only country that will serve the purpose of diversifying the production of Apple devices away from China. Foxconn is reportedly investing a billion dollars to expand its facility in India and bolster iPhone production in the country.
According to a report from El Economista, Foxconn may be planning to invest in a new factory in Mexico. The company already has five factories in the country, but these are used to manufacture TVs and servers. This new factory would focus on introducing some iPhone manufacturing to Mexico, but the final decision may arrive at the end of the year.
“According to two of the sources, Foxconn plans to use the facility to manufacture Apple’s iPhone. However, there were still no signs of Apple’s direct participation in the plan, according to one source.
“Plans arise as the idea of “close relocation” gains ground in Washington. The Trump administration is exploring financial incentives to encourage companies to move their production facilities from Asia to the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean.”
Apple’s 16-inch MacBook Pro, the LG G8 ThinQ and more devices on sale today
Deals. Amazon currently has the 16in MacBook Pro for $300 off, leaving the Intel Core i7, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage for $2100. Now, if you want more storage,
Intel Core i9, 1TB variant is actually $350 off, leaving that at $2449. The LG G8 ThinQ is also $100 off, leaving the 128GB variant for $400 shipped. The Galaxy A51 is also $111 off, leaving that at $288 shipped. We have more deals on Samsung QLED TVs, iPads and more in the links in the description.
Google announces a ton of new tools and features to ease online education for everyone
Google now lets you create an online business card. Here’s how to make one for yourself
Google Lens will soon be able to solve math problems from a photo
It seems that Google has been busy as of late, they just launched a phone and now, they’re rolling out a bunch of features, focused on helping you work and study from home. Probably the most basic is the ability to create a business card in the search app. All you have to do it search the term “add me to search”, then you tap Get Started and it will help you create a “People Card” where you can create a public profile that could serve as a business card, kind of like the ones you get with celebrities. But yeah, a for the learning aspect, a couple of months ago they added a feature to the Lens app where it would be able to scan 3D anatomy models and cellular structures. Now, they’re also adding new technology to snap a picture of your study material, highlight a specific equation and it will give you step-by-step directions on how to solve it. Finally, they’re adding a ton of features to Google Meet and Classroom, like To-Do lists, Q&A and Poll tools and more, we have a detailed list in the links in the description.
US market saw that $1,000 flagship sales weren’t that great in Q2
Recently we’ve talked about smartphone sales for Q2 both globally and in China but now, Canalys just put out the numbers for the United States. Apple lead the way with 47% of the market while growing 10% and Samsung came in second with 23% but they declined by 1% when compared to last year. Next up we got LG, Lenovo and TCL to complete the top 5. What’s interesting here is that apparently $1000 flagships flopped and the average consumer paid around $500 for their smartphone. With unemployment, Canalys predicts that the sub-$400 segment will start heating up, making brands like Google grow with phones like the 4a.
Foxconn suggests that China could soon stop being the world’s factory
We have two separate news for Apple and they kinda intertwine so, bear with me here. According to Bloomberg and Foxconn, China will no longer be considered as the world’s factory for them. We know that Foxconn has been expanding their operations to other countries like India and on this report they stated that “No matter if it’s India, Southeast Asia or the Americas, there will be a manufacturing ecosystem in each of them”. China will still be a key location for them but they will no longer consider them their main factory. Foxconn’s current capacity outside of China is 30% so, we’re wondering if this transition will affect the iPhone 12’s timeline.
iPhone 12 camera lens supplier says production is running without issues
And speaking of the iPhone 12’s timeline, last week a new report from Ming Chi Kuo claimed that Apple was having some issues with their wide angle lens provider and that it could affect the launch date. Well according to DigiTimes, Genius Electric Optical just put out a statement of their own, where they said that their production is still running with no issues and that the demand from their client remains normal. And if they are having issues, Apple’s second supplier, Largan would have to step in and fill out the remaining orders. The only way the delay would actually happen is if Largan would fail to deliver these lenses if push comes to shove. This means that we should still expect that delay that Apple mentioned last week, but other than that we shouldn’t have to wait much more
Story of the day:
Microsoft Surface Duo released for $1,399, shipping starts September 10
After 11 months, Microsoft has finally launched the Surface Duo. It brings to 5.6-inch PixelSense Fusion displays which are connected by a 360-degree hinge which allows you to use both of them in different modes. It’s powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, 6GB of RAM, either 128 or 256GB of storage and a 3577 mAh battery. It also brings a single 11MP shooter at f/2.0 which is capable of shooting 4K video at 60fps. It runs on Android 10 with a Microsoft skin on it which will bring pre-installed apps like One Note, One Drive and more but, it actually brings Microsoft 365 services. It’ll start shipping on September 10th and it will retail for $1399 on AT&T, Best Buy and the Microsoft Store.
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Foxconn has reported its lowest Q1 profits in the last two years. The COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous impact on smartphone demand, and it seems that recovery could take a long time.
Foxconn’s Liu Young-way had some words regarding the company’s Q1 profits. These were down 90 percent on a year-on-year as a result of production shutdowns because of the coronavirus.
According to a report from Reuters: “Foxconn’s first-quarter profit plunged to its lowest in two decades, all but wiped out, after the coronavirus pandemic forced the Taiwanese firm to suspend manufacturing operations in China and knocked demand from customers including Apple […]” Hon Hai will stabilize in the second quarter,” Foxconn said in a statement, adding that all of its main factories in China have now resumed normal operations.” Net profit for January-March slumped 90% to T$2.1 billion ($70.3 million) from a year earlier – the lowest level since the first quarter of 2000 and well short a Refinitiv consensus estimate of T$8.88 billion. Revenue declined 12%. For the second-quarter, the company expects revenue will show double-digit growth from January-March although it will still likely mark a single-digit decline from the same period a year earlier. The division is forecast to post a 15% yearly decline in sales as the virus is set to have “an enormous” impact on demand. In the first quarter, the division accounted for 42% of revenue. “For consumer electronic products, because everyone is staying at home, naturally it affects consumers’ purchasing power and such power might take a very long time to recover.”
The second half of the year is still a mystery, but Liu expects growth in the computing division since lockdowns create demand for devices aimed at people who work from home and those looking for products that provide home entertainment.
Apple's iPhone and other Foxconn clients could be impacted if a factory halt will extend into a second week due to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus outbreak.
