Apple is likely to join the likes of Samsung and Oppo and launch a foldable iPhone soon. The first foldable iPhone may be purportedly called the “iPhone Fold” and it may be launched in 2025, the media has reported. The iPhone Fold is likely to come with OLED display, among other new features, says a report by Apple Insider.
It should be noted that currently, Samsung dominates the foldable market with its devices Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip, which are the fourth generation of foldables from the company.
According to famed tipster Jon Prosser, Apple may opt for a foldable design that could be similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. However, it is to be seen how durable the first foldable iPhone is.
To recall, earlier in November, Samsung's mobile arm, called the Mobile Experience business, held a meeting to discuss its foldable smartphone strategy with its suppliers in the third week of October, says a report by TheElec. Samsung, in the meeting, mentioned that it expects Apple to join the foldable race in 2024.
Samsung also shared that in the South Korean market, iPhone users in their 20s and 30s were changing their devices to Samsung’s foldable phones at a rate three to four times higher than before. The South Korean handset giant shared with suppliers that it believes the foldable smartphone market will have a CAGR of 80 per cent up to 2025.
Meanwhile, earlier in October, an analyst from CCS Insight predicted that Apple would launch a foldable iPad rather than a foldable iPhone in 2024. CCS Insight mentioned that a foldable iPad would launch before a folding iPhone and buck the trend of consumer electronics companies launching foldable smartphones.
According to Ben Wood, the analyst with CCS Insight, the first foldable iPhone would likely need to cost around $2,500. Currently, the new iPhone 14 Pro Max with the largest storage, also the most expensive model, costs around $1,599. “A folding iPhone will be super high risk for Apple. Firstly, it would have to be incredibly expensive in order to not cannibalize the existing iPhones,” Wood was quoted as saying by CNBC.