In a meeting with component suppliers, Samsung briefed them that it would see an increase in foldable smartphone shipments, likely to prepare them for an influx of orders. However, Samsung’s biggest rival in the smartphone space may not start its journey with a foldable iPhone but with larger-screen products.
Foldable MacBooks, iPads Expected to See a Launch in 2024, According to Samsung With the foldable smartphone slowly picking up traction, it is unclear why Samsung would think would that Apple not want to capitalize on this opportunity to launch a foldable iPhone, instead believing that a foldable MacBook or foldable iPad would launch in 2024.
According to Ben Wood, chief of research at CCS Insight, the first foldable iPhone may arrive in 2025, and predicts that it would have to be extremely expensive, almost a niche product, for it to do well without affecting the sales of regular iPhones. A price of $2,500 was also predicted, making it significantly more expensive than what the Galaxy Z Fold 4 sold for.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is of the opinion that the first foldable iPhone would be an instant winner and predicts Apple would ship up to 20 million units in a single year, dwarfing Samsung’s accomplishments. Kuo believes that Apple’s seamless software integration would contribute to the foldable iPhone’s increase in popularity, even if customers have to wait a few more years for it.
It is possible that Apple’s 16-inch iPad that is rumored to arrive in the fourth quarter of 2023 is creating the stepping stones the company needs to pivot to the foldable market. Samsung’s prediction all depends on Apple’s motivation to enter this market, and if the latter does not see profitability for the effort it has to make, we might not see a foldable MacBook or iPad arrive in 2024.
