14 DAY TRIAL // Foldables are the next big thing in the smartphone market, and according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the Cupertino-based tech giant is ready to join the party as well.
However, this wouldn’t happen sooner than 2023, Kuo says according to a report from MacRumors, with the company planning to unveil an 8-inch QHD+ flexible OLED model in approximately two years.
Furthermore, Kuo explains that foldable phones are becoming must-have products for everybody in the smartphone business, with Apple expected to sell as many as 20 million foldable iPhones in their first year on the market.
“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 says.
“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.”
Four iPhones launching this year
In the meantime, the 2021 iPhone lineup is expected to include four different models, all of them upgrades to the current generation.
This could be the last year of the iPhone mini, as Apple is then expected to discontinue this device and focus on larger models. The 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini is believed to be selling below expectations, with some people previously claiming the Cupertino-based firm even considered retiring this model as soon as this year.
However, Kuo says the iPhone mini would stick around for one more year, but the device would then be replaced by a new 6.1-inch iPhone for the 2022 iPhone generation. Of course, a healthy pinch of salt is still recommended.