iPhone Ultra — here's how Apple is reportedly erasing the crease for its foldable phone

Apple is reportedly preparing to unveil the iPhone Ultra at its upcoming Surprise and Shine event on September 9. The foldable market has progressed significantly since the initial issues with the Galaxy Fold in 2019, but one persistent issue that Apple aims to solve is the visible crease that forms where the two sides of the folding screen meet. Rumors suggest Apple is determined to eliminate the crease entirely.

To address this problem, Apple is reportedly employing a combination of three strategies. First, it is adopting a liquid metal hinge, which can endure repeated bending while distributing the stress evenly across the glass. Second, the display itself is believed to consist of two layers of ultra-thin glass, with varying thickness.

The center region, where the bending occurs most, is thinner, while the edges are thicker for added impact resistance. Finally, Apple is utilizing an optically clear adhesive to maintain its liquid form, which helps fill in tiny gaps that might eventually lead to a visible crease.

While the effectiveness of this multi-pronged approach remains to be seen, some estimates suggest the crease could be reduced to less than 0.15mm and an angle of under 2.5 degrees. However, this is a measurement in ideal conditions, and real-world usage will be crucial to determine its long-term impact.

Apple's folding screen technology is not entirely new, as Samsung has been refining its approach with each generation of foldable devices. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 SE and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 have both made strides in reducing the crease, but it has shown to reappear over time with heavy usage. Apple's solution will need to prove equally resilient under rigorous conditions, as leaks have previously raised concerns about the hinge's durability, with some sources claiming it failed to meet Apple's quality standards.

However, recent reports from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman indicate that people who have had early access to the device are praising its reliability, with a claim that the hinge can withstand over 500,000 opening and closing cycles.

The iPhone Ultra's official unveiling is anticipated to be the highlight of Apple's September 9 event, alongside the release of the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro series and the Apple Watch Series 12. As always, these revelations are based on leaks and rumors, and only the event itself will confirm the details.