Apple’s working on foldable prototypes, new iMacs and in-display TouchID

Apple’s had a busy few months following the announcement and launch of its iPhone 12 lineup late last year. Compared to other smartphone makers, the company hasn’t delivered much in terms of redesigns or innovations, sticking to small updates across its lineup of iPhones, iMacs and MacBooks. Recent reports suggest we may see some real changes coming to some of its most popular products. 

Time for an Apple iFold?

At this point, almost every smartphone competitor has experimented with foldable displays in one way or another. Apple fans have been waiting in anticipation for the company’s iteration of a functional and foldable iPhone display, and it looks like it’s in the testing phase. According to a report by Bloomberg, the company “hasn’t solidified plans to actually launch a foldable iPhone.” But it’s got some prototypes in the workshop — so there’s that. 

It’s also worth saying that it hasn’t actually developed anything beyond a working display. We can all agree that a foldable screen needs to be accompanied by a fairly complex hinge mechanism. So it’s still got quite a way to go on its design, we reckon. 

Feels like iMac’s first redesign

Of all its products launched in the past decade, the iMac has really been placed on the back-burner in terms of design updates. The company’s powerful all-in-one desktop hasn’t seen any big innovations in terms of design for a good 10 years — it’s probably time, yeah?

According to another report by Bloomberg, Apple is apparently planning a long-awaited iMac redesign this year. In addition to this, its Mac Pro will also get a refresh in 2021. The report hypothesises that the iMac will ditch the chin beneath the screen, cut down on those oh-so-bulky bezels, and move to a flat-back design. Inside, the updated iMacs should run on Apple’s own silicon (remember the M1-powered MacBooks?) But most importantly, we’re excited to see Apple move away from the ancient iMac design it’s been sticking to for what feels like forever. 

Ready for in-screen TouchID

Now this one is a particularly Touchy situation. Apple fans have had to forego the comfort of accessing their devices with TouchID for a few generations of iPhones (everything post-8). All while their Android counterparts have had access to in-display fingerprint readers for ages. 

This dilemma has increased tensions during the pandemic, where FaceID is fairly useless while wearing a mask. If we were allowed outside, iPhone users would probably have organised a protest by now. Luckily, though, this (final one for this article, promise) Bloomberg report details Apple’s intention of introducing an in-display fingerprint sensor as the official reintroduction of TouchID. Hopefully, we’ll see the tech in its 2021-lineup of smartphones (and maybe tablets).