Apple’s foldable iPhone could be just around the corner

苹果折叠屏 iPhone 或即将问世

Apple’s long-awaited foldable iPhone may be on track for a fall release, according to hidden files that researcher @M1Astra found in the iOS 27 developer beta. This could mean that when Apple unveils its newest hardware in September, we might finally see its take on the foldable.

根据研究人员 @M1Astra 在 iOS 27 开发者测试版中发现的隐藏文件，苹果备受期待的折叠屏 iPhone 可能有望在今年秋季发布。这意味着当苹果在九月份发布其最新硬件时，我们或许终于能看到苹果对折叠屏设备的诠释。

Even though Apple has no foldable phones yet, the iOS 27 code includes references to “foldState,” “mechanicalAngleDegrees,” “angleDegrees,” and “MGGetLogicalDeviceDisplayCount.” This suggests that the software can interpret if the phone is folded out, to what degree it’s been opened, and how many displays the device is using. The implication is that a possible foldable device would run iOS 27, which was unveiled at Monday’s WWDC keynote.

尽管苹果目前还没有折叠屏手机，但 iOS 27 的代码中包含了“foldState”（折叠状态）、“mechanicalAngleDegrees”（机械角度）、“angleDegrees”（角度）以及“MGGetLogicalDeviceDisplayCount”（获取逻辑设备显示数量）等相关引用。这表明该软件能够识别手机是否处于展开状态、展开的角度，以及设备正在使用多少个显示屏。这意味着潜在的折叠屏设备将运行在周一 WWDC 主题演讲中发布的 iOS 27 系统上。

While Samsung and Huawei (which is banned in the U.S.) have been making foldable phones for over five years, Apple’s first attempt will have high expectations to meet. For consumers, the thickness of foldable devices is important — the allure of a second screen may not be as compelling as the ease of sliding a phone into the pocket of your jeans (especially if you wear women’s clothing, which seems to be created with the idea that women do not carry stuff).

虽然三星和华为（华为在美国受到禁令限制）在折叠屏手机领域已经深耕超过五年，但苹果的首次尝试将面临极高的市场期待。对于消费者而言，折叠屏设备的厚度至关重要——第二块屏幕的吸引力可能不如将手机轻松滑入牛仔裤口袋来得实在（尤其是如果你穿的是女性服装，这些服装的设计似乎默认女性不需要携带任何物品）。

But Apple has made its fair share of progress in condensing the iPhone to as small a device as possible. Last year, Apple unveiled its iPhone Air, which is only 5.6 millimeters deep (about the thickness of four dimes stacked). As a foldable, two iPhone Air screens would be about 11.2 millimeters deep, which is thinner than any Samsung foldable other than its newest two-screen model, the Galaxy Z Fold7.

不过，苹果在将 iPhone 尽可能做薄方面已经取得了相当大的进展。去年，苹果发布了 iPhone Air，其厚度仅为 5.6 毫米（大约是四枚硬币叠在一起的厚度）。如果采用折叠设计，两块 iPhone Air 屏幕叠加后的厚度约为 11.2 毫米，这比除最新款双屏机型 Galaxy Z Fold7 之外的任何三星折叠屏手机都要薄。