A foldable iPhone device is being rumored for quite some time now, and it seems we have a firm launch window for that at last. According to noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the earliest we can expect the foldable iPhone to reach markets is 2023. Kuo has a long history of usually being spot-on with his Apple-related predictions, enough to believe that really is how things are expected to pan out in the coming years.
Unfortunately, Kuo does not have much else to share of the upcoming iPhone variant, except that it is going to be an 8-inch tablet form factor that the iPhone will transform into in its unfolded state. Also, it is going to be a QHD+ flexible OLED screen that the foldable iPhone will be relying on, one that again has been sourced from Samsung.
Specifically, the research note revealed Samsung Foundry is going to be the exclusive DDI foundry provider while SDC will serve as the exclusive display supplier. Further, it is speculated Apple will be adopting the silver nanowire touch feature which is known to have several advantages over the Y-Octa tech from SDC. Now, Apple already uses the technology on its HomePod which means the company already enjoys a head-start with the feature.
Interestingly, Samsung has its own line-up of foldable smartphone offerings comprising of the likes of the Galaxy Z Flip or the Galaxy Z Fold 2. The South Korean giant has already emerged as the biggest player in the foldable smartphone devices segment though the equation no doubt will change once the iPhone variant enters the fray. As it is, the Kuo research also revealed Apple is looking at around 15-20 million units of the foldable iPhone to be sold in 2023 alone.
What is also going to be interesting is the manner Apple manages the software side of it given that it is going to be both a smartphone and a tablet at the same time. Maybe we will get to see the smartphone and tablet devices merge into one in the future. The introduction of Apple Pencil support will be another desirable feature for the foldable iPhone device if Apple indeed goes for it.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.
