Apple's first folding screen iPhone exposed "catch up with a late set" or "prepare to go"?

21st Century Business Herald reporter Zhang Sainan reported from Shanghai

Recently, there has been more news about Apple's folding screen.

Blogger @Digital Chat Station recently revealed on Weibo that Apple's first folding screen iPhone is a large folding, and the current proofing outer screen size is 5.49 inches, and the inner screen size has reached 7.74 inches.

Industry insiders can't help but sigh that Apple's folding screen, which has been rumored for many years, is finally a bit of a spectrum.

Since the end of 2024, the news of Apple's folding screen products has been intensively exposed. Some time ago, it was reported that Apple's first folding screen iPhone will adopt a book-like folding form, similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold series. It is 9.2 mm thick when folded and 4.6 mm on one side when unfolded.

In addition to the revelations in terms of size, the news of Apple's folding screen supply chain has also been reported, including screens, brackets, hinges, optics, batteries and other links, involving Foxconn, Lens Technology, Lingyi Intelligent Manufacturing, Sunny Optics and many other companies. The 21st Century Business Herald reporter confirmed from the industry chain that some companies have confirmed that they will supply or send samples.

At present, folding screen mobile phones of domestic and foreign manufacturers have undergone many upgrades, and it has been 5 years since Huawei released the first generation of folding screen mobile phones. Apple is only close to releasing folding screen products at this time, is it "catching up with a late set"? As an industry benchmark, the impact of its release of folding screen products on the market is worth looking forward to.

Product details exposed

Rumors about the "folding iPhone" have been common in recent years, but the timing of its release has been delayed several times. Judging from the release rhythm of recent related revelations, the footsteps of "folding iPhone" may really be close.

At the end of last year, Ross Young, a well-known display analyst, broke the news that Apple's first foldable device could take a book-like form factor, which is expected to be launched in 2026.

The latest revelations show that the outer screen size of the current prototype of the folding screen iPhone is 5.49 inches, and the inner screen size is 7.74 inches. This means that the size of the expanded inner screen will exceed that of the iPhone 16 Pro Max (6.9 inches), which is the largest in the current model.

For example, the Huawei Mate X6 has an outer screen size of 6.45 inches and an inner screen size of 7.93 inches, while the Samsung Z Fold 5 has an outer screen size of 6.2 inches and an inner screen size of 7.6 inches.

Although Apple's folding screen mobile phone has not been officially released, its related technical reserves are sufficient, and a considerable number of patents have been announced.

In December 2024, Apple announced a new hinge design patent, which can greatly improve the flexibility and durability of folding screen devices through a unique finger and crescent alveolar structure. The patent description shows that this hinge design can be widely used in wearables such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and even watches, indicating that the patent can be used not only for iPhones but also for iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches.

Another thing to watch is the dynamics of suppliers. At present, there have been many reports that have disclosed the identity of Apple's folding screen suppliers, including Chinese supplier Lens Technology will supply UTG (ultra-thin glass) for Apple's folding screen iPhone; The flexible screen is supplied by Samsung; Optical lenses involve manufacturers such as Da Li Guang and Sunny.

The above-mentioned suppliers have not been officially publicly certified, but the 21st Century Business Herald reporter learned about part of the supply situation from people in the industry chain: Lens Technology is responsible for providing UTG screens; Another well-known domestic Apple supplier has been in contact with the project.

"Apple's supply system has always been very strict, so (folding screen suppliers) are likely to be found from manufacturers who have a stable supply relationship before, but the requirements for durability and creases are definitely stricter." A person in the industry chain said. Another industry insider admitted, "The project stage is still early. ”

Judging from public information, many Apple suppliers have reserved relevant technologies in the field of folding screens.

In an institutional survey in January, Lens Technology said that in terms of folding machines, the company has been laying out for many years, mastering the core manufacturing process of UTG and CPI folding screens with upper and lower folding, left and right folding, and multi-folding, and has key supporting components such as protective film and lamination, hinges, titanium aluminum alloy middle frame and glass backplate and related lamination assembly capabilities, which has more advantages than manufacturers that can only provide a single component.

Lingyi Zhizao has also responded to related topics on the interactive platform before. It said that the company's carbon fiber structural parts, as the key parts of the screen support plate, have high strength, low density, good modulus, good conductivity and heat dissipation characteristics, and gradually replace stainless steel materials into the folding mobile phone industry. The relevant folding screens and other mid-to-high-end mobile phone models of the industry's leading customers have adopted the company's carbon fiber structural parts and achieved mass production and shipment.

Reshape the industry landscape

As Apple's first folding phone, it is undoubtedly pinned on high expectations by the market, among which issues such as creases and durability are the focus of attention.

"One is whether the crease can be completely solved and smoother; The second is whether the system and application adaptation are better. On February 17, Lin Meibing, chief analyst of WitDisplay, said in an interview with the 21st Century Business Herald.

Zhang Xiaorong, president of the Deep Science and Technology Research Institute, also expressed two concerns to reporters: "First, whether the product has breakthroughs in technological innovation, product form and system interaction. For example, it is worth observing whether the innovation of its hinges and screen technology significantly improves the crease and durability of the screen. The second is that the product can accelerate the development of the market, if it can, it means that it is a successful product. ”

The current folding screen market has been cultivated by Huawei, Samsung, OPPO, Xiaomi and other brands for many years. According to the 2024 China folding screen mobile phone market report recently disclosed by IDC, a well-known market research agency, the total annual shipments are about 9.17 million units, a year-on-year increase of 30.8%. Among them, Huawei occupies 48.6% of the market share. Honor, vivo, Xiaomi, and OPPO ranked second, third, fourth, and fifth respectively, accounting for 20.6%, 11.1%, 7.4%, and 5.3% of the market share.

Apple entered the game at this time, did it "catch up with a late set"?

You know, Samsung released the world's first folding screen mobile phone Galaxy Fold as early as February 2019, taking the lead in the industry to commercialize folding screen mobile phones. In October 2019, Huawei also released its first foldable screen phone, the Mate X, which has now been updated to the "X6" version. Xiaomi and OPPO will also release their first folding screen mobile phones in 2021.

But Apple has always been a "nuclear bomb" in the industry, just like its previous introduction of "full screen" and "AI function", it can always stir up the storm.

"(Entry) is not too late, Apple is generally not a market pioneer, but to do a good job in the product, the market cake to make bigger, after other manufacturers in the past few years of market cultivation, consumers have a certain awareness of the folding machine, is a good time for Apple to enter." Lin Meibing said.

Zhang Xiaorong also said that although Apple entered the folding screen market relatively late, the folding screen mobile phone market is climbing rapidly, which does not mean "catching up with the late set". "Apple's addition has the potential to increase market awareness and acceptance of folding screen phones and drive market growth. In addition, Apple's folding screen products may set new industry standards in terms of software optimization, hardware design, and durability, driving technological advancements and upgrades across the industry. ”

Institutions are also paying attention to the dynamics of Apple's folding screen.

CITIC Securities recently released a research report saying that the possibility of Apple entering the folding screen market is still the focus of the industry, providing new development opportunities for material companies in the relevant supply chain. Optimistic about Apple's technological innovation capabilities and its industry-leading role in the field of mobile phones. Apple has introduced innovative technologies to solve the problem of creases and fragility, and the technological upgrade of Apple's folding screen has promoted the development of directly related materials, and recommended etching suppliers, carbon fiber support suppliers, and UTG glass suppliers.

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