Foldable phone technology is still in its infancy, and it remains to be seen if it’s just a fad or not. While Samsung, Motorola, and Huawei have all launched smartphones with foldable displays, Apple fans wonder when a foldable iPhone will debut. Apple tends to be more pragmatic with its designs, so it’s no surprise that it hasn’t launched one yet. However, we do have clues that a foldable iPhone or iPad will get a release date someday.
When will the foldable iPhone or iPad get a release date?
I expected Apple to launch a foldable iPhone as soon as 2024 in my reports last year, but now it's clear this prediction needs to be revised. I predict Apple may launch its first foldable product in 2025 at the earliest, which may be a foldable iPad or a hybrid of iPad & iPhone. https://t.co/HGIDPFvdar
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) April 1, 2022
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo states that he doesn’t believe we’ll see a foldable iPhone until 2025. He claims that Apple is currently working on a 9-inch foldable display that might either end up being used in an iPhone or iPad at some point. At this point, however, we have to assume that Apple isn’t even prototyping anything close to the final hardware. We’ve heard similar rumors before, and nothing has come of them yet.
Despite issues with early foldable phones, the technology is rapidly advancing. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Flip 3 received rave reviews and eliminated many of the weaknesses of their predecessors. However, they’re expensive compared to their non-foldable peers and remain a niche product.
A foldable iPhone might be just what the tech needs to go mainstream. Apple markets its phones as premium devices and could easily position an iPhone Fold above the iPhone Pro, and no one would bat an eye at buying it. However, pricing might be what is preventing Apple from producing a foldable iPhone or iPad right now. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 was almost $2000 when it was first released, which put it far beyond the amount most people are willing to pay for a smartphone. Even those who replace their iPhones each year at $1,200 would pause a $2,000+ price tag.
As of now, there’s no solid information that Apple will ever make a foldable device, and we don’t imagine we’ll see one for the next few years.
