Apple has been playing with the idea of creating a foldable iPhone, according to The Independent. The tech giant has reportedly created prototypes of “at least two iPhones that fold widthwise like a clamshell,” but it has run into some roadblocks during the early development stage.

Apple is experiencing issues such as the prototypes being too fragile. It is also struggling with tackling an exposed seam at the center of the display of the phone where it is too visible and too obvious to the touch. The foldable device’s price-point is also a challenge as it reportedly has a higher cost than the nonfoldable ones.

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Apple is also reportedly working on a foldable tablet that has a similar size as the iPad Mini, but it is facing an issue where the hinge on the device is preventing it from laying flat on a table.

The report from the Independent also reveals that Apple is aiming to make the phone “as thin as current iPhone models,” but the display and battery sizes are also a challenge.

It also notes that the project to create a foldable iPhone has the possibility of being axed and that foldable iPhones are not in Apple’s mass production plans for 2024 or the following year.

Many phone companies such as Samsung, Google, Motorola and OnePlus have already unveiled their own versions of foldable smartphones.

When the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5, which retails for around $1,500, was released last year in August, some users reported encountering issues with the device that is similar to what Apple is allegedly facing with its foldable iPhone prototypes.

One user who made a post on a Samsung community thread claimed that shortly after they purchased their Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5, they had issues with unfolding the phone.

“Three months in and i started noticing the hinge making this sound i wasn’t used to and i also felt the phone wouldn’t open completely,” wrote the user.

A day after the Google Pixel Fold launched in June last year for around $1,400, users started to report issues with the phone being too fragile. One user on Reddit claimed in a post that a day after they purchased the phone, they already started noticing damage to the product.

“I am already noticing very small dents and surface imperfections between the bezel and the screen protector, the gutter area,” wrote the user.

The move from Apple comes after it filed a patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office four years ago. The patent, filed on July 7, 2020, is titled “Foldable electronic device with exposed display region,” and it details the company’s plans to create a foldable device where users will be able to see their notifications while the device is closed, which hints that part of the screen will still be visible.

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