Foldable iPhone may use liquid metal hinge
Foldable iPhone may use liquid metal hinge
https://www.cultofmac.com/news/foldable-iphone-may-use-liquid-metal-hinge
Publish Date: 2026-06-02 11:14:00
Source Domain: www.cultofmac.com
Apple is building its long-anticipated folding iPhone around a liquid metal hinge, and the device has now actually reached mobile carriers around the world for compatibility testing, a prominent Apple supply chain leaker said Tuesday.
Foldable iPhone may use liquid metal hinge
The Weibo-based account Fixed Focus Digital made the claims about the liquid metal hinge and its testing in a post. They added that development and manufacturing work on the device is now “progressing rapidly.” The disclosure comes a day after Fixed Focus Digital described a vapor chamber cooling system inside the foldable.
And yet another leak claims to show a new foldable iPhone being opened an closed with plastic wrap still on it, perhaps at the factory or testing facility:
苹果第一台折叠屏 iPhone
工厂实拍流出，目前最清晰的一段 pic.twitter.com/ofkK0kiL8V
— 老白（每日干货分享✊） (@laobaishare) June 2, 2026
What is liquid metal?
Liquid metal — often described as an amorphous metal alloy — is notable for lacking the crystalline grain structure of ordinary metals. That structural difference gives it an unusually high strength-to-weight ratio. So it features strong resistance to corrosion and an ability to spring back from repeated bending without fatiguing the way conventional alloys do.
Those elastic recovery properties make it well-suited for hinges and other moving parts, especially in foldable devices where fatigue resistance is essential to long-term durability. A foldable phone’s hinge will likely open and close a huge number of times across its working life.
Apple’s history with the material
Apple’s work with liquid metal goes back more than 15 years. In 2010, the company signed an exclusive deal with Liquidmetal Technologies. The iPhone giant secured a perpetual worldwide license to use the material in consumer electronics. Despite holding that license for quite a while, Apple has deployed liquid metal only in a handful…
