Apple’s highly anticipated first foldable device, the iPhone Ultra, is expected to launch this fall, featuring an innovative liquid metal hinge—a technological breakthrough developed over more than 15 years.
According to a new leak from tipster Fixed Focus Digital on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, Apple has officially selected a liquid metal hinge solution for its upcoming foldable screen.
The tipster states that research, development, and production are advancing quickly. Additionally, prototype models have reportedly been sent to telecom carriers worldwide for network testing.
This development follows a separate leak from the same source earlier this week, which indicated that the new model will feature a vapor chamber for advanced cooling and that it remains on track for a September release.
Rumors about Apple’s use of liquid metal have circulated in the tech industry for over 15 years. The tech giant initially licensed liquid metal technology in 2010 but has primarily used it for minor accessories, such as SIM card ejector tools, despite years of speculation that it would be integrated into a thinner, lighter iPhone.
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While industry analysts and tech publications, including Cult of Mac in August 2010, have long predicted that Apple would eventually integrate a cutting-edge liquid-metal hinge into a folding device, the material had largely remained a rumor until now.
With the iPhone Ultra reportedly entering the late stages of production and carrier testing, this latest leak strongly suggests that Apple’s long-term investment in liquid metal technology is finally ready for the consumer market.