The wait for a foldable iPhone might be a little longer than what many had expected, as a reliable supply chain source is now predicting a 2023 launch window at the earliest. The smartphone industry is slowly warming up to the idea of foldables. TCL was among the earliest names in the game, but things truly shifted gears with the Samsung Galaxy Fold launch a couple of years ago. Huawei soon threw its hat in the ring as well, and fellow Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi soon followed.
Even the likes of Motorola have taken a shot at foldable glory, and earlier this month, Oppo provided a glimpse of its own stunning foldable phone. The only major name that has yet to jump on the bandwagon is Apple, and the market has eagerly been waiting for the company to make a splash with its own foldable iPhone. In January, rumors emerged that Apple has started testing foldable screen tech, and the internet was soon flooded with all forms of speculations and shiny concept renders.
However, it appears that the wait for a foldable iPhone might stretch longer than what many had anticipated. In an industry-wide display trend report, Ross Young from supply-chain analysis firm DSCC writes that a foldable iPhone is unlikely to make an appearance before 2023 with 2024 the more likely. Also touching on iPads and MacBooks with an OLED display, Young also suggests the wait will be until 2023 at the earliest, with 2024 the more likely once again.
Earlier this year, TFI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that a foldable iPhone is set to make an appearance in 2023. The analyst, who is often spot-on with Apple product predictions, also hinted that the foldable iPhone will come equipped with a flexible OLED panel offering a QHD+ resolution and relying on TPK's silver nanowire touch solution. Kuo appeared quite bullish about the prospects of a foldable iPhone, claiming that it will partly catalyze the next "super replacement cycle” for Apple-branded smartphones. Kuo even went as far as crowing Apple as the biggest winner in the foldable device segment, even though those wild claims will have to wait at least another year to materialize.
While everything about the foldable iPhone remains suspended in the realms of gaudy concepts and unsubstantiated rumors, a year’s delay might actually prove to be a blessing in disguise. The delay will give Apple more time to further refine its foldable tech, especially when it comes to getting rid of the unsightly crease and resolving durability issues around moving parts in the hinge. Oppo’s upcoming foldable phone appears to have solved the crease issue, which is a sign that Apple’s foldable might avoid the problem with a foldable iPhone as well.
Source: DSCC
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