Report claims Apple is working on foldable smartphone that 'opens like a book'

Apple is working on a radical new iPhone with a foldable screen that doubles as a tablet.

That's according to a report from Bank of America Merrill Lynch, which says that several Apple suppliers in Asia have confirmed they're working on a such a product.

A foldable iPhone could even be coming as soon as 2020, the analysts said.

"We expect the iPhones this fall to be largely unchanged for the organic LED versions although size changes have proved to be a catalyst in the past," Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan wrote in a report on Friday.

"Our checks also suggest that Apple is working with suppliers on a foldable phone (that could potentially double up as a tablet) for launch in 2020," he added.

It's long been rumored that Apple is planning to release a new smartphone with a folding screen.

Last November, the tech giant applied to patent a phone that can be "opened and closed like a book."

According to the patent, Apple may be secretly working on "an electronic device may have a flexible portion that allows the device to be folded."

The patent continues: "The device may have a flexible display."

"The flexible display may have a bending region that allows the display to bend along a bend axis when the device is folded."

Separately, a Korean media outlet reported last October that Apple is working with LG Display on a foldable iPhone.

The report also notes that Apple could release a foldable model in 2020.

It's worth noting, however, that Apple patents many products that never make it to fruition.

The tech giant isn't the only one exploring the radical screen design.

Samsung, Lenovo and ZTE have all demoed foldable phones, while LG has applied for patents showing a folding device.

Chinese smartphone firm ZTE unveiled the world's first folding phone last October.

Called the Axon M, it has two 5.2' displays, which can be used to show separate apps, or work together as a larger tablet display.

Last year Lenovo unveiled the Folio, a prototype device with a flexible screen that can transform from a tablet into a smartphone.

Samsung recently doubled down on its promise to make folding phones a reality.

DJ Koh, the head of Samsung's mobile business, said in February that it plans to release a foldable phone as soon as this year.

- This story first appeared in the Daily Mail