Apple is testing folding display panels for iPhone and iPad

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New rumors circulating online suggest that Apple is developing folding OLED screens for use with iPhone and iPad.

South Korean publication The Elec first reported on the story, saying that they have learnt from inside sources that Apple is developing OLED screens without a polarizer. This allows the screens to be developed thin, and allows them to fold.

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Polarizers control the amount of light that passes through a display, and they can control the direction in which light passes through as well, increasing readability and visibility on the display.

The trade off is that polarizers lessen the maximum luminance values of displays, which means less brightness. To offset this, manufacturers raise the power consumption of the display but at the cost of lifespan.

What Apple is trying to do is remove the polarizer, and replace it with equivalent technology, while creating a thinner panel, ideal for foldable devices.

Samsung famously replaced polarizers for their foldable screen, used in Galaxy Z Fold 3, with a color filter printed out on thin film, reinforced with a black pixel layer.

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In other Apple news, the Cupertino-based technology giant announced that they would finally lay the iPod to rest. The iPod's glorious 20 year history will see it live on as the most important music devices of its era, that ushered in a huge shift in the music industry.

Apple said the iPod Touch, the only one still available for sale, would continue to be sold till supplies last.