On December 14, foreign media MacRumors reported that display industry analyst Ross Young said in a research report that Apple will launch the first folding iPhone as early as 2023, and 2024 is Apple's final target date. So, if you want to buy a folding iPhone, you need to wait another two years.
(Image source: forbes.com)
Recently, with the popularity of the meta-universe concept, everyone's focus on Apple's new products has shifted from folding iPhones to VR headsets, and analyst Guo Mingxi also said that Apple will launch the first VR headset device next year. Although the revelations about folding iPhones have decreased, Apple is still developing as planned. It is reported that in September last year, Samsung provided Apple with a foldable display sample for testing, and Apple seems to be considering cooperation with LG.
In January, Bloomberg revealed that Apple had begun "early work" on folding iPhones, but the development progress had not yet expanded beyond the display. In May, Kuo said Apple would launch a folding iPhone with an 8-inch flexible OLED screen, but did not elaborate further on the interior details. Guo Mingxi believes that folding mobile phones are the trend of future smartphones, Samsung is constantly improving folding mobile phones, and Apple is not prepared to be absent.
According to the DSCC report, Samsung folding screen mobile phone sales reached 2.6 million units in the third quarter of 2021, with a market share of 93%. Sales are expected to increase to 4 million units in the fourth quarter, further increasing market share to 95%. Although Huawei, Xiaomi and other brands have successively launched folding screen mobile phones, the current market is still a Samsung one, and it is difficult for other brands to shake its position.
The folding screen market has such a large space for development, Apple will certainly not dry look at the inaction. However, according to Apple's consistent practice, the product must be quite mature, can withstand the test of the market will be launched, in the face of tens of millions of units of sales every year, Apple does not dare to launch experimental products out of the risk.
Therefore, Apple must polish the folding iPhone perfectly enough to launch the product. Current information suggests that the first folding iPhone features a left-right unfolding design similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 3, with the most difficult of which must be the hinge structure. Apple not only needs to ensure that the hinge is durable enough, but also needs to make the screen as free as possible when unfolding.
As long as the hinge problem is solved, the folding iPhone should be available soon. In addition to its 8-inch large screen, it is very likely that it will also be equipped with Apple's M series chips, of course, the price is certainly not cheap, and the 20000 estimate is only the starting price.