Apple is working on a foldable iPhone for 2023
Apple is launching a foldable iPhone with a flexible 8-inch OLED screen with QHD + resolution in 2023, according to a new note from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
- Based on the latest industry survey, the note said, we expect Apple to likely release a foldable iPhone with a flexible 8-inch OLED screen with QHD + resolution in 2023, with Samsung Display as the exclusive supplier of displays and Samsung Foundry as the exclusive provider of the DDI screen controller.
- She added: Based on the required capacity plan from Apple, we expect foldable iPhone shipments to reach between 15 and 20 million units in 2023, and we expect that the foldable iPhone will adopt the TPK Holding solution with silver nanowires that touch the touch due to its many advantages compared to the technology. Samsung Display's Y-Octa.
Ko predicts that foldable smartphones will become essential to all major smartphone brands and boost the next replacement cycle for flagship models, and he believes Apple is well-positioned to be the biggest winner in the foldable device trend.
At the moment, the location of foldable smartphones is to integrate a smartphone and tablet, but a foldable smartphone is only one of the applications of foldable design.
Foldable devices may blur the differences between smartphones, tablets, and laptops in the future.
Thanks to comprehensive product ecosystems and hardware design features, Apple will be the big winner in the direction of new foldable devices.
Kuo believes that the upcoming iPhone may adopt a silver nanowire touch screen solution, creating a long-term competitive advantage for Apple in the foldable device market.
This display technology will be essential for future foldable devices, which support more than one fold.
Future foldable devices require touch technology that supports multiple folds (as opposed to only one fold in current foldable smartphones), a foldable screen, a medium to a large screen, and durability.
When comparing the advantages of the above specifications, the silver nanowire is similar to or superior to Samsung Display's Y-Octa technology.
- Koo says Apple is using silver nanowires for the HomePod's touch interface, allowing it to master the technology at a lower cost using a smaller production run.
It is noteworthy that this is not the first time that we hear rumors from Ku about a foldable iPhone phone, as he said in March: that Apple may plan to launch a foldable iPhone with a screen measuring between 7.5 and 8 inches in 2023, although it is clearer. At the time that this launch schedule depends on Apple's solution to the major problems of technology and mass production.