Apple has plans to make a folding iPhone starting next year, reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said on Wednesday.
Kuo said Apple’s folding phone could have a display made by Samsung Display, which is planning to produce as many as eight million foldable panels for the device next year.
Kuo is an analyst for TF International Securities, and focuses on the Asian electronics supply chain and often discusses Apple products before they’re launched.
He wrote in a post on social media site X that Apple’s plans for the foldable iPhone aren’t locked in yet and are subject to change.
Apple’s iPhone makes up over half of Apple’s business and remains an incredibly profitable product, accounting for $201 billion in sales in the company’s fiscal 2024.
Reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated on Wednesday that Apple intends to begin producing a folding iPhone the following year.
According to Kuo, Samsung Display, which intends to manufacture up to eight million foldable panels for the device next year, may provide the display for Apple’s folding phone. But according to Kuo, other parts, like the hinge of the device, are still pending. He anticipates that the price will be “premium.”. “,”.
Kuo, an analyst at TF International Securities, frequently talks about Apple products prior to their release and focuses on the Asian electronics supply chain.
In a post on social media platform X, he stated that Apple’s plans for the foldable iPhone are still open and could change. When CNBC asked Apple for comment, the company did not reply.
With $201 billion in sales during the company’s fiscal year 2024, the iPhone continues to be a highly profitable product and accounts for more than half of Apple’s business. However, iPhone sales peaked in 2022, and Apple is always searching for new ways to draw in new clients and persuade existing ones to upgrade to more costly models.
Folding smartphones have been available since 2019 from a number of Apple’s competitors, such as Samsung and Huawei.
The devices are designed to fit into the pockets of pants and promise a tablet-sized screen. However, folding phones still have hardware problems, such as display creases where the phone is folded.
After the novelty wears off, folding phones have also not shown that they generate a sizable demand.
Last year, the research firm TrendForce reported that only 0.5 percent of smartphones sold were able to fold. Earlier this year, Counterpoint, another research firm that tracks smartphone sales, stated that the folding market is predicted to contract in 2025 after growing by only roughly 3% in 2024.
