A folding iPhone might finally be in the works.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reportedly has told investors that Apple plans to launch an 8-inch foldable iPhone by 2023. Kuo predicts that Apple plans to sell 15-20 million foldable phones the year of its launch.
Kuo’s report says that the QHD+ flexible OLED screen and the display controller will come from Samsung. Even though other companies got their foldables to market first, Kuo said that Apple would have an advantage with the first foldable iPhone due to its strong “cross-product ecosystem.”
The folding iPhone would join similar products from other manufacturers. For example, there’s the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 and the Microsoft Surface Duo. Reaction to these phones has been muted, and observers have noted that there aren’t many apps available that take advantage of the folding screens.
“Apple, not surprisingly, has been sitting on the sidelines watching,” Carl Prouty of electronics retailer Abt Electronics said in an email interview. “They are not typically the first to market with new technologies like this. But, thankfully for Apple customers, when they do finally jump on board, they do it right.”
Users of a foldable iPhone could benefit from the many iOS developers. “If Apple introduces a foldable phone, it brings more than just a new device to the market,” Jason Cottrell, CEO of software development firm Myplanet, said in an email interview.
If Apple introduces a foldable phone, it brings more than just a new device to the market.
“It will catalyze millions of apps and app developers to think about how they can make the most of this new format.”
The vast number of apps available unlocked the full value of the iPad, Cottrell said. “The same will be true here if Apple introduces a foldable phone.”
Whatever form the foldable iPhone eventually takes, don’t expect it to be inexpensive. The current foldables on the market tend to cost well over $1,000.
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