Apple Inc. may be set to follow in the footsteps of its main rival Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd and debut a foldable phone, according to famed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
TFI Securities analyst Kuo, who’s nearly always right when it comes to Apple predictions, said in his latest note that based on an industry survey he did, a foldable iPhone will launch in 2023.
“Based on our latest industry survey, we forecast that Apple will likely launch a foldable iPhone with an 8-inch QHD+ flexible OLED display in 2023, with SDC as the exclusive display supplier and Samsung Foundry as the exclusive DDI foundry provider,” Kuo said. “Based on Apple’s requested capacity plan, we predict that the foldable iPhone shipments will reach 15-20 million units in 2023. We expect that the foldable iPhone will adopt TPK’s silver nanowire touch solution because of its several advantages over SDC’s Y-Octa technology.”
The notable part is that Kuo suggests that Apple is already talking to its manufacturers about a foldable iPhone. The predictions are very specific in terms of who will make it and the technology it will use.
The fact that Samsung will be the display driver integrated circuit or DDI supplier comes as no surprise given that Samsung itself is currently the market leader in foldable phones, After debuting its first foldable phone in 2019, Samsung currently has two foldable phones on the market: the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and the Galaxy Z Flip. There is arguably some irony that one of Apple’s largest suppliers, which provides the majority of OLED screens to iPhones, are rivals in the smartphone market.
Kuo suggests that the market for foldable phones is just beginning, saying they will become a must-have. “After 5G, the foldable smartphone is the next innovative selling point of high-end models,” he wrote.
After initial teething problems, Samsung’s range of foldable phones are highly regarded, but they have one major issue: cost. Although some would suggest that standard flagship phones are expensive, folding phones take price to the next level. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 starts at $1,999 in the U.S. for the base model versus the flagship Galaxy S21 Ultra that retails in the U.S. starting at $1,199. The iPhone 12 Pro starts at $999.
Apple may well be able to bring to market a foldable phone, but cost is going to be an issue unless the technology, with widespread adoption, starts to come down in price in the coming years.
Image: Apple
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May 04, 2021 at 10:27AM
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Report: Apple set to follow Samsung with foldable iPhone in 2023 - SiliconANGLE News
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