It"s 2026, and several foldable smartphones are already on the market. Samsung started its foldable journey about seven years ago with the Galaxy Fold and unveiled its tri-fold smartphone last month.
Apple has been late to the party, with a rumored foldable iPhone (aka iPhone Fold) expected to arrive between 2026 and 2028. CES 2026 has fueled the fire by giving people a teaser of how the display on the foldable iPhone might look.
Samsung Display put up its first crease-free OLED panel on display at its CES booth. It was placed side-by-side with the existing foldable panel from last year"s Galaxy Z Fold7 for a "Crease Test." SamMobile reported that the new foldable OLED panel has a virtually invisible crease when viewed from different angles.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Display at CES👀
— Max Jambor (@MaxJmb) January 6, 2026
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The Galaxy Z Fold7 features an improved panel over previous models; however, a slight amount of crease is still visible when viewed from different angles. Samsung has reportedly used a laser-drilled metal display plate (internal hinge) with the new foldable OLED panel to distribute and control bending stress when the display is folded, making it crease-free. South Korean company Fine M-Tec is expected to supply the metal plate.
Apple will likely not settle for a foldable display with a visible crease. Noted analyst Ming Chi-Kuo said last year that "Apple’s stricter crease-free requirements for the foldable iPhone would accelerate the adoption of laser drilling for display metal plate production."
However, we should expect some differences between the display implementations on both devices. Apple will make its own customizations to fit the foldable iPhone"s specifications. It"s known to be testing an ultra-thin flexible glass (UFG) to achieve a visually crease-free display.
That said, rumors and speculations are piling up around the unreleased foldable iPhone. Apple is said to be gearing up for a three-year iPhone redesign cycle, and the iPhone Fold is expected to build on the iPhone Air"s design.
The foldable iPhone"s "super thin" design might come at the cost of the SIM card tray. But that"s not a significant change, as Apple has been selling eSIM-only iPhones since 2022. However, according to Weibo leaker Digital Chat Station, Apple might go for a side-mounted Touch ID instead of Face ID to keep the device as thin as possible.
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