Apple plans to create a folding iPhone beginning next year, as Ming-Chi Kuo, a trustworthy analyst, said on Wednesday. Apple’s foldable iPhone might have a Samsung Display, which is preparing to make eight million foldable panels for the device in the coming year, Kuo noted. Other parts, however, are still unresolved, the hinge of the device included, Kuo said. He expects that it will have premium pricing.
Specialist in the Asian electronics supply chain, Kuo is an analyst at TF International Securities who often comments on Apple products before their release. He stated in a post on the social media site X that Apple’s foldable iPhone intentions are not yet final and might change. CNBC’s request for comments has not gotten a response from Apple.
Apple’s whole revenue comes from the iPhone, which is still a very profitable product with $201 billion in sales for the corporation’s fiscal year 2024. Apple, though, saw its highest iPhone sales in 2022, hence it kept looking for fresh ideas to entice new consumers and urge current ones to pay more for better versions.
Since 2019, many Apple rivals, including Huawei and Samsung, have been releasing folding phones. Though little enough to fit into pants pockets, these gadgets provide a tablet screen size. Folding phones still have hardware problems, including evident folds on the screen where it folds.
Furthermore, folding phones have yet to prove that they can create significant demand after the initial novelty wears off. Last year, research firm TrendForce said that only 1.5% of all phones purchased were foldables. Another research firm tracking smartphone sales, Counterpoint, said earlier this year that the foldable market grew just around 3% in 2024 and is forecast to decrease in 2025.
The rivals of Apple, such as Samsung and Huawei, have been launching folding smartphones since 2019. The devices offer a screen size which is equal to a tablet, in a form which can fit well in the pockets of the users. ho
