Apple is reportedly working on a foldable iPhone. The phone, which was originally launched in 2023, will use an 8-inch QHD + flexible OLED screen.
Apple is expected to sell 15-20 million foldable iPhones by 2023. The foldable iPhones are also expected to adopt the TPK silver nanowire touch solution due to several advantages over the Y-Octa SDC technology.
"Based on our latest industry survey, we predict that Apple is likely to launch a foldable iPhone with a flexible, QHD + 8 inch OLED screen in 2023," said TFI Securities Ming-Chi Kuo, launching Mac Rumors.
Kuo predicts that foldable smartphones will become must-have phones in the coming year. He also believes that Apple is well positioned to be the leader in foldable phones.
"We estimate that foldable devices will blur product segmentation between smartphones, tablets and laptops in the future. With a cross-product ecosystem and its hardware design excellence, Apple will be the biggest winner in the new foldable device trend," he said.
The rumors of a foldable iPhone are nothing new. In March, Kuo briefly said that Apple may plan to launch a foldable iPhone with a 7.5 to 8 inch screen by 2023.
Citing CNBC, an Apple spokesman was not yet available to comment on Kuo's statement. However, Apple may have a few hurdles it might need to overcome before it actually brings out the foldable iPhone.
All Apple iPads, for example, support drawing input with Apple Pencil. But most foldable phones don't support pen input as it's relatively fragile compared to traditional phone screens.
Samsung, Huawei and Xiaomi have introduced foldable phone models, although their prices still make them relatively inaccessible to most consumers.
