According to The Elec and its industry sources, the iPhone Flip, foldable Mac and iPad rumors are a shot in the arm as Samsung Display (Apple's primary screen partner for the devices) has taken a major step forward in preparing to help manufacture them They say they have just received.

Samsung Display has just completed a partial restructuring of its business to meet Apple's needs, and Samsung Display's Apple Business Team is now working with Samsung Display's Apple Business Team, which will not be selling off-the-shelf panels, but instead will be manufacturing folding panels specifically for the devices of its largest client The Apple Business Team at Samsung Display now appears to be trained to develop folding displays specifically designed for their largest clients' devices, rather than selling off-the-shelf panels.

The report also reiterates rumors that LG Display is also working on developing foldable components for Apple, such as the rumored 20.25" foldable MacBook. Meanwhile, Leaker Revegnus adds that Apple's first foldable device could appear in 2027, but it is more likely to be this tablet/laptop hybrid, not a foldable iPhone. That is also later than the 2024/2025 date we had heard before ...

Another tidbit from the report is that Samsung Display is also working on building an "independent microdisplay team for XR devices" (machine translated), referring to AR, VR and spatial computing. apple Vision Pro headset will be available next year, and with the growing demand for already launched products like the Meta Quest 3, Samsung would be wise to prepare for growth in this market as well.

It always seems odd to me that while Samsung's mobile division and Apple are long-term rivals, other parts of Samsung's business treat Apple and other competitors as customers. These displays often prove to be a considerable asset to the devices that use them, beating competitors on metrics such as brightness and color accuracy.

Apple was late to the foldable device game, but with its historical habit of highly refining its latest innovations prior to launch, plus a large and dedicated user base, it should have no problem gaining a significant foothold in the market. Even if Apple's first foldable goes up against foldable phones like the OnePlus Open and Motorola Razr Plus, or foldable laptops like the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold and HP Spectre Fold, Apple them entirely, or at least have a good chance of beating them in a few key areas. And as the world's top folding display maker, Samsung wins no matter whose device comes out on top.

Still, now that we have to wait three years or so for Apple's first foldable, no one would blame us for looking for a literal and figurative flexible device instead. To help with that, take a look at our best folding phones page or check out our review linked above.