Catching Up with Galaxy... Apple to Launch Its First Foldable in 2024

Expected Rendering of Apple Foldable Phone [Source: LetsGoDigital]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Cho] There is a forecast that Apple will release a foldable smartphone that folds and unfolds in 2024. With the basic bar-shaped smartphone market virtually saturated, it is expected that a form factor change like Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Z series will be inevitable.

According to the US economic media CNBC on the 22nd, Guo Mingchi, a Taiwan TF International analyst and Apple expert, recently suggested in a report that Apple's first foldable phone will be released in 2024.

This is slightly later than the 2023 date previously suggested by analyst Guo Mingchi. Major foreign media report that while the release timing of Apple's foldable phone may vary depending on issues such as core technology development, mass production problems, and parts supply, entry into the foldable market is certain.

Source: Gizchina

Apple has been steadily filing patents related to foldable phone technology since 2016. It has also tested foldable iPhone displays made of OLED material sized 7.3 to 7.6 inches. The design is likely to be a clamshell shape that folds up and down like the Galaxy Z Flip. Apple has developed prototypes of both the clamshell design and the book-like design that folds left and right like the Galaxy Z Fold. These foldables are also expected to support Apple Pencil (stylus pen) functionality.

Currently, the foldable phone market is virtually led by Samsung Electronics. However, recently, Chinese manufacturers such as Huawei and Xiaomi, focusing on cost-effectiveness, have been actively entering the market, leading to rapid growth. According to market research firm Counterpoint Research, the global foldable phone market is expected to grow threefold from 5.6 million units this year to 17.2 million units next year.

In particular, Samsung Electronics, which has adopted an 'all-in foldable phone strategy' even at the cost of giving up the release of a new Galaxy Note product in the second half of this year, is significantly lowering the price of its third-generation foldable phones, reducing the price barrier. This is interpreted as a strategy to expand the user base. Foldable phones priced between 1.5 million and 2 million KRW have been considered relatively expensive, acting as a barrier to entry.

Industry insiders expect Apple to put even more effort into perfection since it is entering the foldable phone market a bit late. It is known to be focusing on improving issues that have been criticized in foldable phones so far, such as display wrinkles, hinge durability, and heat generation problems.

Along with this, analyst Guo Mingchi revealed that among the iPhone series to be unveiled next year, the Pro model will adopt a hole (punch-hole) design instead of a notch. Furthermore, for the iPhone series to be released in the second half of 2023, attempts such as embedding fingerprint recognition functionality under the display are expected.