First Apple foldable device could land next year

Aug 8, 2019 08:40 GMT  ·  By

With foldable phones becoming the next big things in the mobile industry, it makes sense for Apple to want to be part of this.

And according to UBS analysts, the Cupertino-based tech giant could join the foldable phone party in the next couple of years, albeit Apple’s plans isn’t exactly as you’d expect it to be.

Plus, the company has a series of challenges to resolve down the road, they think.

First of all, Apple’s foldable device strategy will begin with the iPad, which according to UBS could get this upgrade and see daylight as soon as 2020. As far as the iPhone, a foldable version is morel likely to land in 2021, one year after the major overhaul planned for the next year when features like 5G are expected to be added.

Even more expensive iPhones

Meanwhile, Cupertino is struggling to deal with the high selling price of foldable smartphones. As with everything Apple, the foldable iPhone would be more expensive than its rivals, and this could be a major problem for the first generations. Samsung’s Galaxy Fold, for instance, reaches $2,000, so an iPhone that goes beyond this price point could be rather difficult to sell.

“Price remains the key hurdle in most consumers’ minds, while the adequate average premium vs regular smartphones surveyed to be c. US$400-500,” UBS analysts wrote in a note to investors,” the analysts have been quoted as saying by CNBC.

“The survey indicates greater willingness to pay a premium (c. $600) and generally higher interest among Apple buyers for foldable products. This suggests that the industry will need to work to further reduce costs for foldable mobile devices to take off as a products category.|

Apple waiting until 2021 to release a foldable iPhone could be an attempt to kill two birds with one stone. The company can thus make sure not only that this project reaches its maturity, but also that the foldable market itself evolves, with the overall costs of production and components possibly declining.