According to the best-known iPhone analyst out there, Apple will debut an all-new folding iPhone in 2023, and it expects to sell 15-20 million units in the first year.
Ming-Chi Kuo told investors that he expects Apple to unveil an 8-inch iPhone with a flexible OLED display in two years’ time. This forecast isn’t just drawn from thin air – rather, the intel is based on an industry survey that revealed information about Apple’s long-term orders from various suppliers.
He also says the device will use “silver nanowire touch” technology, which has several advantages including the ability to support multiple folds.
Thanks to ConceptsiPhone for the device mockup images
We reported at the beginning of the year that Apple was known to be trialing different prototypes: one based on two screens joined by a hinge, and another will a fully bendable screen that can fold in half. It sounds as though the second of those options is likely to be the solution Apple is going ahead with.
Several Android vendors, notably Samsung, have already released folding smartphones. If these reports are true, Apple would be a few years behind the game by the time it launches its own version – but historically, that’s how Apple likes it. Very rarely is it the first to a new technology; rather, Apple bides its time and tries to come up with the best solution instead of the quickest. Often it goes on to dominate markets even after late entry.
It’ll be very interesting to see the reception if Apple really is working on a folding iPhone – especially as it has the potential to further blur the lines between iPhone, iPad, and even Mac!