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When Apple introduced the ultra-slim iPhone Air earlier this year, it sparked a flood of opinions, with many praising the company’s return to innovative engineering and suggesting it offered a sneak peek of future releases. Interestingly, the iPhone Air provides a visual preview of Apple’s upcoming foldable smartphone expected in the next year — a device that’s essentially a “non-sandwiched” view of the new folding design.
The Bigger Picture
Industry rumors and expert analysis suggest that the upcoming foldable iPhone will be notably thin, incorporating a flexible screen approximately eight inches diagonally. The device is expected to effectively address common issues like visible creases or vertical lines across the fold, and it appears to draw heavily on the design and engineering principles seen in the iPhone Air.
Visualizing the device
According to reports, the foldable iPhone will resemble two titanium iPhone Air units placed side by side — highlighting its extraordinarily slim profile and engineering feats. This design concept emphasizes a sleek form factor that pushes the boundaries of smartphone thickness, promising a cutting-edge folding experience.
Image showing a semi-open foldable iPhone concept, illustrating a sleek blend of innovation and aesthetics.
A recent report from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg provides additional insight, describing the device as a ‘super thin’ gadget that, when closed, will look like two titanium iPhones stacked together. His perspective underscores the impressive engineering prowess involved, although concerns about heat management are also raised due to the device’s slim profile.
The Main Concern
Let’s not forget that previous models like the Titanium iPhone 16 Pro have faced heat dissipation issues compared to their aluminum predecessors. Concerns about thermal performance are valid, especially considering the following reports about the iPhone Air’s heating behavior:
Images of the iPhone Air, highlighting its sleek design but also hinting at potential warmth during use.
Despite its attractive design, the iPhone Air tends to get quite warm during basic tasks, according to The New York Times. Similarly, benchmarks have shown that the less powerful A19 chip inside the iPhone 17 scored higher and generated less heat than the more potent A19 Pro in the iPhone Air. Performance throttling due to heat was noted, with tests indicating that the device’s performance may be slightly compromised during intensive use.
Images illustrating the surface temperature issues associated with high-performance smartphones.
A brief session of gaming, such as playing Diablo Immortal, caused notable warmth in the device but without significant performance degradation, according to The Verge. Meanwhile, some competing slim devices, like the Oppo Find N5 and Honor Magic V5, manage to stay cooler despite their slim profiles, which bodes well for Apple’s future foldable designs.
Final Thoughts
The engineering involved in the upcoming foldable iPhone appears promising, but heat management remains an important issue to monitor. Despite the slim design advantages, ensuring the device stays cool during demanding tasks will be crucial for consumer satisfaction. As Apple explores these new dimensions of foldable technology, it’s hopeful that the company will optimize both design and performance, avoiding the overheating pitfalls seen in earlier models.