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Foldable phones have been around for quite some time. Companies like Google, Samsung and Huawei take the lead with their popular flagship foldables. Apple is yet to join the race. The company plans to launch its first foldable in 2028. But Apple being Apple, wants to do it in a grand style.
Its foldable iPad will be 18 inches wide, looking like a Mac laptop when closed and a 13-inch laptop when open. From the look of things, the foldable might not even be ready by 2028 and may likely be out in 2029 as new reports suggest.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has revealed that Apple is facing some serious design issues in the foldable prototypes. The company is struggling to get the weight right, and ultimately the cost. The report shows that the prototypes weigh 3.5 pounds (about 1.6kg). That’s way heavier than the 1.3-pound (about 0.6kg) large iPad Pro.
Leaving that aside, there’s still the problem of visible hinges. Apple is trying to minimise the crease on the 18-inch OLED display. Even for Samsung’s foldables, the hinges are not completely invisible, though there appear to be no creases when opened. Apple doesn’t just want a foldable, it wants to make one with a smooth display to rival Samsung and other companies in the game.
A similar foldable has already been manufactured by Huawei. It launched its 18-inch MateBook Fold earlier this year in May, starting at $3,400 and weighing a pound less than Apple’s foldable prototypes. Most consumers would rather purchase foldables from other brands than buy a heavier foldable costing $3,000. Why choose an expensive heavier option over lighter existing ones?
Until Apple figures out how to get around this, it won’t be launching the foldable iPad. The strife for perfection is really what’s delaying the arrival. In the end, the company might scrap the idea completely rather than releasing a foldable that few people want to buy.
Author:Obiajulum Ndubuisi
Obiajulum is a tech enthusiast passionate about writing. When she isn’t writing about gadgets, she will probably be playing badminton, watching a movie, or surfing the internet.
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First run on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 during their launch, One UI 8 has rolled out to more Samsung devices over the weeks. This Android 16-based operating system is finally coming to the Galaxy S21 FE, and it might be the last major update it will ever get.
SamMobile highlighted the One UI 8 rollout for the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE. The update became available to users in Thailand and Vietnam on October 23. There are no details on when the update will make it to other regions but the global release for the Galaxy S21 FE will come soon. The upgrade is about 2GB in size with a version G990EXXUIHYJ2.
Considering the fact that the Galaxy S21 FE received the One UI 7 based on Android 15 sometime in May, the One UI 8 is faster than expected.
How to download the One UI 8 update on your Galaxy S21 FE
If you do not reside in Vietnam or Thailand, the update might not be available for your device. Either way, this is how to check for the update. Head over to the Settings app on your phone, click on the Software update tab, and then on Download and install. Give your device some time to download the update.
Will One UI 8 be the last major update for the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE?
When the Galaxy S21 FE launched, Samsung stated that it would regularly update the operating system for four years. With the One UI 8 update, the device receives its fourth full Android OS upgrade. What this means is that Android 17 won’t be rolling out to the Galaxy S21 FE.
Although the Galaxy S21 FE won’t receive any major upgrades, it will still get security updates until its OS upgrade guarantee ends in January 2026. The case is not the same for other devices in the FE lineup. Samsung Galaxy S24 FE and Galaxy S25 FE have a longer seven-year update promise.
Author:Obiajulum Ndubuisi
Obiajulum is a tech enthusiast passionate about writing. When she isn’t writing about gadgets, she will probably be playing badminton, watching a movie, or surfing the internet.
