Sued by Apple over earlier leaks, Jon Prosser shows off a foldable iPhone design

Apple is suing [PDF] Jon Prosser for publishing information about the new iOS leaked to him by insiders. This fires a warning shot at anyone else in a similar position, but creates a secondary problem: it sharpens Prosser's credibility and draws further attention to whatever he might publish in future. For example, a convincing mockup of a new folding iPhone said to be based on detailed specifications, leaked to him by insiders.

Prosser describes a device with an 7.8-inch folding display, to launch next fall as part of the iPhone 18 lineup. On the outside, there's a 5.5-inch "external" display with a hole-punch camera facing the user, and two back-facing cameras on a raised bump. It will be 9mm thick when closed, implying just 4.5mm when open—thinner than even the iPhone Air. The key design element, though, is the lack of a visible crease, as seen on existing folding phones and long held to be an unacceptable compromise for Apple. Prosser says Apple solved this with a "metal plate that disperses the pressure of bending the display" and "liquid metal" within the hinges.

Apple is famed for its secretive product development and occasional legal action against journalists. In 2005, it sued rumor site Think Secret over its publication of "trade secrets," ultimately forcing it to shut down. When a prototype iPhone 4 was left in a bar by an employee in 2010, it found its way to gadget blog Gizmodo. Police raided an editor's home, seizing laptops and other devices, on a warrant that Wired reported was "invalid" and which led to criticism from press freedom advocates. Other targets have included Apple Insider, over "trade secret misappropriation."

Previously: Apple's rumored folding iPhone is starting to take shape