This week in Apple: Foldable iPhone rumors, CarKey, and App Store legal troubles

This week in Apple news we saw rumors ramp up surrounding a “foldable” iPhone. However, so far it seems that the phone would be more akin to the various LG phones that can connect to a secondary display with a hinge mechanism. This would be very different from devices like the Samsung Galaxy Fold.

In other Apple news, we saw some more iPhone 12 physical mock-ups (which still seem incorrect in at least one major detail), news about CarKey, and some more information about the EU’s problems with Apple’s ways of doing business.

See the Apple news roundup below for all the latest.

The top Apple news stories of the past week:

• “Foldable” iPhone might not be the best name for it: According to some new rumors, Apple’s plans for a foldable iPhone might be very different from the true foldable we’ve seen in the Android world. Rather than foldable plastic displays that allow for a seamless viewing experience, the foldable iPhone could be more like LG’s hinged dual-display devices. Check out a mock-up of what this could look like in the header image of this article.
• More iPhone 12 mock-ups hit Twitter: We’ve already seen quite a few mock-ups of the iPhone 12 series so far, and now we have some more. Thanks to Twitter user @Jin_Store, we can see the images below. However, these mock-ups are probably incorrect in that they show a notch the same size as the iPhone 11 series, which we are relatively certain will not make it to the iPhone 12 series. Instead, we expect the notch to see a 50% reduction. Still, these mock-ups seem cool:

• CarKey might make its debut soon: Apple has been working on a system that will allow you to unlock your car with your iPhone. Called CarKey, this system’s name is starting to show up all over the place so it’s likely Apple will formally announce it soon, maybe at WWDC next week.
• EU is not so happy with Apple’s business methods: This week, the European Commission formally initiated two antitrust investigations into Apple. One is related to Apple’s alleged monopolistic control over the App Store and the other is a similar accusation related to Apple’s control of Apple Pay. Predictably, Apple claims no wrongdoing.
• Apple’s VR/AR headset might be facing delays due to infighting: According to Bloomberg, there are problems brewing related to Apple’s AR/VR headset. Apparently, Jony Ive wants the headset to be sleek and work on its own, even if that means sacrificing graphics power. Mike Rockwell, the lead of the headset team, wants the device to be as powerful as possible, which would necessitate a separate hub device that would need to be paired to the headset. Now things are slowing down due to the divide, apparently.
• Goodbye iOS? We don’t think so: Sometimes-right leaker Jon Prosser claimed on Twitter that Apple could rebrand iOS to iPhoneOS, which would match better with iPadOS. However, we don’t think this is happening as iOS is such an iconic name. It would be like Google changing Android to Robot or Microsoft changing Windows to Doorway. It just doesn’t seem likely.
• Apple stores closing again as COVID-19 ramps back up: Apple re-opened many of its US-based stores recently, but now is backtracking on that. The company is now re-closing some of its stores due to COVID-19 cases spiking up again as states start hastily re-opening.

Thinking about making the switch?

If you are reading this Apple news article on an iOS device and thinking about making the switch to Android, we have multiple articles and guides that can help you with that process. Despite how it might seem, moving from iOS to Android is easier than ever, and many of the services and systems on iOS have similar or even the same counterparts on Android.

The best place to start would be our guide on how to switch from iPhone to Android, which goes over all the basics. We also have more specific guides, such as how to transfer your calendar from iPhone to Android. We also have app guides that will give you the best alternatives to iOS staples, such as our list of best alternatives to FaceTime on Android.

If you’re looking for a great Android device to replace your iPhone, consult our list of the best Android smartphones available now.