Within the next few years, we could finally get a foldable iPhone. A new report from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests that Apple is developing an 8-inch foldable iPhone that could launch in 2023.
The investment note, which was reported on by MacRumors, says that the device will likely have a QHD+ flexible OLED display. The report also mentions that the device will use a new “silver nanowire” touch technology that would allow it to support multiple folds, as well as ensure better durability than current foldable devices.
Of course, it’s not all that surprising that Apple is probably working on a foldable device. Apple, like other tech companies, routinely works on all kinds of different products, but that doesn’t mean we’ll ever see a foldable iPhone. And if we do, that doesn’t mean it will launch in 2023. It’s speculated that foldable phones are likely to lead the next big wave of smartphones, and if that turns out to be true, it’s likely we’ll see a foldable iPhone at some point. All of that, however, remains to be seen.
Apple, like other tech companies, routinely works on all kinds of different products, but that doesn’t mean that we’ll ever see a foldable iPhone.
Perhaps more interesting than the foldable iPhone itself is how it could impact the rest of Apple’s lineup. Apple already has a device that’s around 8-inches — the iPad Mini. The iPad Mini has long been the go-to device for [people who want an iPad that isn’t as big as the rest of the lineup. It’s possible that a foldable iPhone could spell the beginning of the end of the iPad Mini, and smaller-size iPads in general, though we’ll have to wait and see how the iPad lineup evolves given the availability of larger-screen iPhones.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard rumors of a foldable iPhone, and it probably won’t be the last. Late last year, a report from Digitimes noted that Apple could be planning a foldable iPhone for 2022, while Kuo has mentioned in the past that the company could be prepping a device for 2023.
Of course, Kuo has also mentioned that production for the foldable iPhone has “not yet officially kicked off,” meaning that Apple is still in the development phase of launching the device. If Apple does end up entering production, it would be a much more concrete indication that the company is launching a foldable iPhone over the next year or so.
