Apple’s upcoming foldable iPhone Ultra could shape the design of future Android devices. A new report indicates Google, Oppo, and Vivo plan to adopt Apple’s dual-glass display structure in 2027 to eliminate screen creases and improve durability on their own foldables.
The method centers on ultra-thin glass, or UTG, arranged in two layers with the display sandwiched between them.
By isolating the screen from direct contact with the hinge, the design is intended to distribute mechanical stress across multiple layers rather than concentrating it at the fold point.
The goal is to reduce both the visible crease, a persistent complaint about book-style foldables, and the structural wear that accumulates over time with repeated opening and closing.
A Longstanding Problem With Foldables
Every major foldable on the market today uses a single UTG layer sitting above the display. That approach leaves the screen more exposed to stress at the hinge, contributing to the crease that becomes visible under certain lighting conditions.
Apple’s reported dual-layer configuration places protective glass both above and below the panel, a construction no Android manufacturer currently uses at scale.
Samsung, which manufactures UTG for much of the foldable industry, is expected to mass-produce the layered glass for Apple’s competitors starting in 2027.
That timeline means Google, Oppo, and Vivo would be adopting the technique roughly a year after the iPhone Ultra is expected to debut, with Apple’s device scheduled to be unveiled next week.
What It Means for Buyers
For consumers, the crease has been one of the most visible shortcomings of foldable phones since Samsung introduced the original Galaxy Fold in 2019.
It does not affect function, but it is immediately noticeable when the display is viewed at an angle, and it tends to deepen with use.
A design that meaningfully reduces that effect would address one of the category’s most discussed aesthetic drawbacks.
Whether the dual-layer approach fully eliminates the crease or simply reduces it remains to be seen. The iPhone Ultra will offer the first real-world test of the technique, with Android devices using Samsung-produced versions of the same glass arriving the following year.
