iPhone Fold: new (and notable) rumors about the materials used surface

The iPhone Fold undoubtedly represents one of the most anticipated and talked-about devices in recent history. It would be the first foldable smartphone produced by the Cupertino giant, a move that would mark Apple’s official entry into a market segment already explored by competitors, but which the company has so far observed from a distance.

Although rumors have been piling up for years, one of the most debated and contradictory issues concerns the physical composition of the device: what materials will the iPhone Fold be made of?

The latest whispers seem to rekindle a debate that seemed dormant, suggesting engineering choices as fascinating as they are complex.

Will the iPhone Fold be made in titanium and Liquidmetal?

Until a few months ago, the general consensus among analysts suggested that Apple, for its first foldable, would opt for an aluminum chassis. This choice seemed the most logical to keep costs down, and above all, the weight of the device.

However, recent rumors from the Korean platform Naver, and in particular from the tipster known as Yeux1122, have reversed this narrative. According to these new sources, Apple is weighing the use of a titanium alloy for the chassis and, even more interestingly, the “liquid metal” for the hinge.

The hinge is the heart of every foldable smartphone, as well as its potential Achilles’ heel. It must withstand thousands of openings and closings over the product’s life, requiring exceptional durability.

The hypothesis that Apple could use liquid metal for this critical component is not entirely new, but had been set aside in favor of more traditional solutions. The return of this rumor suggests that Cupertino is looking for a definitive solution to guarantee superior longevity to the market average.

A technology waiting for over a decade

The use of Liquidmetal warrants a closer look, as it represents one of the most fascinating dormant technologies in Apple’s portfolio. The company indeed holds an exclusive license to use the advanced amorphous alloys of the Liquidmetal Technologies since the early 2010.

Despite this long period of internal research and development, the commercial use of this material has so far been extremely limited, relegated to tiny components such as the SIM card ejector tool.

However, the physical properties of liquid metal make it an ideal candidate for a complex hinge. This material boasts an exceptional strength-to-weight ratio, high fatigue resistance and the ability to be shaped with extreme precision into intricate forms.

The transition from a simple SIM-ejector tool to a dynamic structural component like the hinge of a foldable phone would represent the culmination of more than a decade of studies.

According to rumors, the version of the material that would be used on the iPhone Fold would be an improved evolution of the one used in the past, optimized to ensure maximum mechanical reliability.

The chassis dilemma: durability or lightness?

While using liquid metal for the hinge seems engineering-sensible, choosing titanium for the outer chassis raises more questions. Titanium is undoubtedly a premium material, capable of offering higher durability than aluminum, but it brings with it significant challenges in terms of production and processing costs.

New rumors suggest Apple has developed an improved titanium alloy capable of reducing overall weight thanks to new compositions and refined manufacturing processes.

Nevertheless, skepticism remains. Earlier reports dating to last autumn indicated that the idea of a fully titanium chassis had been discarded in favor of aluminum or a hybrid solution, precisely to avoid bringing to market a device that is too heavy or expensive.

It is important to note that the source of these new details, Yeux1122, has a mixed track record: while he has correctly anticipated some of Apple’s moves in the past, he has also made significant errors, such as the inaccurate forecast that the company would abandon proprietary 5G modems.

A look to the future

The current roadmap envisions the iPhone Fold seeing the light between late 2026 and early 2027, with mass production expected in the coming months.

This means that, despite the concreteness of the rumors, Apple still has a window of time to make substantial changes to the project.

If the choice of liquid metal for the hinge seems a safe bet to resolve the durability issues typical of foldables, the adoption of titanium remains an open question.

It will be interesting to see if Apple can balance the use of premium materials with the need to keep the device ergonomic and affordable.