It’s been less than 48 hours since Samsung wowed many by revealing its new Galaxy Fold device during the company’s first Unpacked event of the year.

Following the unveiling we chatted about other manufacturers swiftly following suit in our latest htxt.africast podcast, and as fate would have it, a blueprint for a foldable iPhone design has surfaced online.

According to The Verge, the patent for the design was published last week, with Apple reportedly coming up with the blueprint in October last year.

Looking at the blueprint in the header image above it appears as if Apple is opting for a horizontal crease on its foldable iPhone, compared to the vertical one on the Galaxy Fold. The Cupertino-based firm’s description of the device also notes that it could fold in half or into thirds. If true that could give it an advantage over the Galaxy Fold, which it its folded mode is still rather bulky.

As for when a foldable iPhone could see the light of day, a report by CNBC says Apple could have it ready to hit the market late next year.

By that time, Apple could have serious competition to contend with in the foldable phone space, as Huawei, Lenovo (Motorola) and ZTE are all said to be unveiling devices at MWC 19 in the next few days.

There’s also LG to consider, with the South Korean company saying it wants to see how the market reacts to foldable devices. If the Galaxy Fold reaction is anything to go by, LG too could soon be revealing their own offering.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r_UgNcJtzQ&t=1s