Release date of Apple's first foldable iPhone

The question was never if Apple would release such a phone, but when, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, known for having access to accurate information about upcoming Apple products, according to Gizmodo.

According to the analyst note, Kuo said that Apple's first foldable iPhone will have an 8-inch flexible OLED screen sourced from Samsung and will go on sale sometime in 2023. Kuo also says that he expects Apple is targeting sales of between 15 and 20 million units of such phones, which would represent quite a jump from the 2.8 million foldable phones sold in 2020, of which almost 80% are Samsung models.

Foldable iPhone Release Date

"Currently, the position of foldable smartphones is mainly to combine the functionality of smartphone and tablet," Kuo wrote. “But we believe that the foldable smartphone is just one of the applications of the foldable design. We predict that foldable devices will make it harder to differentiate between different product segments: smartphones, tablets and laptops. With its product ecosystems and hardware design advantages, Apple will be the biggest winner in the new foldable device trend.”

Kuo said that Apple will move to silver nanowire touch technology - which Apple already uses on the HomePod - for use in future devices with multiple folds or rollable displays, at which point nanowire touch could become a better choice than Samsung Display's Y-Octa technology.

Foldable iPhone price

Unfortunately, Kuo didn't mention an estimated price for Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone, although given Apple's ambitious sales target, it's hard to imagine the final prices will be $1,800, which is where the model is found Galaxy Z Fold 2 (our review here).

Another question is whether Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone will run a standard version of iOS, iPad OS, or a hybrid of the two to help Apple's foldable phone make the most of its multi-functional design. Either way, the main hurdle Apple will have to overcome is finding a way to protect the foldable iPhone's screen, as the flexible displays currently in use are still quite fragile. Apple will also need to develop a hinge mechanism that maintains its strength and rigidity without taking up too much space and without allowing small particles such as dirt or dust to enter the device.

Samsung has already launched two generations of foldable phones and currently has the most experience in creating devices with flexible screens. We'll see if Apple manages to make a better product than Samsung with the first interaction.