While companies like Samsung, Xiaomi and Oppo are busy working on foldable smartphones, Apple is delaying. Although it is starting to look very much like we may be waiting for the wrong product. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone is not the first product to get the treatment.
Previous predictions gave us the impression that the product in question would not see the light of day until 2026. We now know that we should keep our eyes peeled in 2024, which is next year.
iPhone not the first foldable Apple product
Foldable is a confusing term. There are numerous companies advertising a foldable laptop anno 2023, where of course it has been foldable for about twenty years. Of course, in these cases they are referring to the screen of a product that is foldable.
Apple, next year, is joining the market for this type of product. At least, that’s what reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects. In a series of tweets, he says he is certain of a foldable iPad by 2024. Something that could be a good saving grace for the company, which is facing disappointing iPad numbers this year.
DaVinci Resolve on iPad (Image: Blackmagic Design)
By the way, I am positive about a foldable iPad in 2024
“I expect a 10% drop in terms of iPad models shipped in 2023,” Kuo said in his tweet. “By the way, I am positive about a foldable iPad in 2024. I expect this new model to have a positive impact on both numbers and supply.”
According to Kuo, the information comes from Apple supplier Suzhou Anjie Technology. The company says it is working on a kickstand for the foldable iPad, which is also made entirely of Carbon Fiber.
Who is Ming-Chi Kuo?
Ming-Chi Kuo is an analyst at TF International Securities and also one of the most reliable sources on Apple and all its products. He does not have a 100% score, but when Kuo says it, the information is at least to be taken seriously.
Foldable smartphone is delayed
While the arrival of a foldable iPad is pleasant, in the meantime, people have been waiting for a foldable iPhone for ages. In fact, ever since Samsung unveiled its first Galaxy Fold in 2019. A launch that, due to a slew of dickish problems, went anything but smoothly.
It is therefore expected that Apple will go all out to make such a launch go smoothly. Clearly, the American company is not going to be rushed by time. DSCC CEO Ross Young announced late last year that there are no indications of a foldable iPhone yet. Ming-Chi Kuo later concurred.
Are you waiting for the arrival of a foldable iPad? Let us know in the comments!
