---
title: "Apple Co-Founder: Where’s My Foldable iPhone?"
description: "Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak concerned that the company has yet to release a foldable iPhone, but there's a chance one is on the horizon."
date: "2019-02-26"
modified: "2019-02-26"
authors:
  - name: "Kristin Houser"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/kristin"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/foldable-iphone-apple-steve-wozniak"
categories:
  - "Robots and Machines"
tags:
  - "apple"
  - "foldable phone"
  - "iPhone"
  - "steve wozniak"
  - "the digest"
---

# Apple Co-Founder: Where’s My Foldable iPhone?

![Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak concerned that the company has yet to release a foldable iPhone, but there's a chance one is on the horizon.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/foldable-iphone-wozniak.png>)
*\<em\>Image: Apple/Victor Tangermann\</em\>*

## iPhone Home

Last week, Samsung [unveiled](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/samsung-galaxy-fold>) an exorbitantly priced foldable smartphone, adding its name to the [growing list](<https://www.t3.com/news/best-folding-phones>) of tech companies that think the flip phone is poised for a comeback.

One company not on that list: Apple — and that has the company's co-founder Steve Wozniak concerned.

"Apple has been a leader for quite a long time in a few areas such as touch ID, facial ID, and easy payment with the phone," Wozniak [told *Bloomberg*](<https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-26/apple-co-founder-wozniak-really-wants-a-folding-iphone>). "They’re not the leader in areas like the folding phone, and that worries me because I really want a folding phone."

## Patent Clues

Wozniak noted during the interview that folding phones are "one of those new technologies that does catch \[his\] attention."

They've caught Apple's attention, too, even if the company has yet to actually bring a foldable iPhone to market: Back in 2014, Apple [filed a patent application](<https://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2014/01/hidden-apple-patent-for-flexible-display-devices-discovered.html>) for a foldable iPhone. That patent was approved in 2016, and earlier this month, the United States Patent and Trademark office published [Apple's 2019 update](<http://pdfaiw.uspto.gov/.aiw?PageNum=0&docid=20190053388&IDKey=852C02061B1A&HomeUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fappft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO1%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526d%3DPG01%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsrchnum.html%2526r%3D1%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526s1%3D%25252220190053388%252522.PGNR.%2526OS%3DDN%2F20190053388%2526RS%3DDN%2F20190053388>) to that application.

## iPhone 2020

As for when Apple might move from the patent to the development stage, Wall Street firm Merrill Lynch [told clients](<https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/23/apple-is-working-on-a-foldable-iphone-for-release-in-2020-says-bank-of-america.html>) in March 2018 that the company was working on a foldable iPhone, with plans to release it in 2020.

Rumors of that release date [continue to circulate](<https://www.macworld.co.uk/news/iphone/foldable-iphone-2020-release-date-rumours-3692865/>), so while Wozniak might not have his foldable iPhone just yet, there's a chance he won't have to wait much longer for it.

**READ MORE:** [Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak Really Wants a Folding iPhone](<https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-26/apple-co-founder-wozniak-really-wants-a-folding-iphone>) \[*Bloomberg*\]

***More on folding phones: [Samsung Just Revealed a $1,980 Folding Smartphone](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/samsung-galaxy-fold>)***

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinjhouser>)