Apple To Release Foldable iPhone?
Apple debuted a handful of new products last September. But there was one notable item missing – a foldable iPhone. That has left many industry analysts wondering when the company will announce news of its own foldable phone.
One of Apple’s main rivals, Samsung, has had foldable Galaxy phones on the market for years. And they just launched updated versions last August. There are also three other cell phone companies with foldable phones on the market.
So why hasn’t Apple followed suit? According to CNET, there are likely two main reasons we have yet to hear news of a foldable iPhone. First is that the company does not typically offer hints about products until closer to launch.
And, “Next, Apple typically positions products as a solution to a problem, highlighting quality and innovation.” However, foldable phones don’t necessarily offer any solution. Instead, they are mostly novelty items that showcase how far tech advancements have come.
That doesn’t mean Apple isn’t working toward a potential foldable iPhone. Rumors about an upcoming foldable phone have swirled for over a year. Two analysts who have their fingers on the pulse of Apple innovations suggested in early 2021 that a foldable iPhone was on the horizon.
Mark Gurman published a piece on Bloomberg where he claimed Apple “has begun early work on an iPhone with a foldable screen, a potential rival to similar devices from Samsung.” And Ming-Chi Kuo predicted a launch date of either 2023 or 2025. Many expect this potential upcoming foldable iPhone to be roughly the size of an iPad Mini.
But before Apple can launch such a device, it must address a few technical problems. Chief among those is improving its manufacturing capabilities. “More times than not when Apple introduces a radical hardware change — like 2014’s iPhone 6 Plus and its larger screen — those models are hard to find at launch because they sell out quickly.”
The company couldn’t do that with a foldable iPhone. Instead, it would need to preemptively solve manufacturing concerns to allow it to meet consumer demand. And that is a tall order since over 11 million foldable phones shipped in 2021.
Additionally, foldable phones have more components and pieces that may fail. It happened with Samsung’s first-generation foldable offerings, and Apple can expect a similar outcome. So the company will need to establish an avenue to assist customers with broken components.
Another concern is the software itself. When you fold a phone, the software needs to adjust and accommodate the change. Before launching a foldable iPhone, Apple would need to make significant changes and updates to the iOS and iPadOS operating systems.
None of that is out of reach for the tech giant, though. The company is well-known for its quiet and behind-the-scenes innovations. But Apple also doesn’t confirm or deny any rumors about potential products.
So whether or not they have taken (or are in the process of taking) the above steps are pure speculation. But consumers would certainly welcome the news that a foldable iPhone is on the way. So keep your eyes peeled starting in the fall of 2023, and you may be pleasantly surprised.
