Expected to Release First Foldable Smartphone in 2023
Apple is expected to release its first foldable smartphone in 2023. The company has applied for related patents since 2016 and, according to industry sources, it is working on both types of foldable smartphones, that is, one whose upper and lower sides meet each other and one whose right and left sides meet each other.
Apple and LG Display are currently developing a foldable OLED panel together. It is said that the in-folding display panel employing etching for a decrease in thickness is likely to be a 7.5-inch panel and Apple’s first foldable smartphone is likely to be a clamshell smartphone.
“Apple will not be able to lead the foldable smartphone market for a while with the market being led by Samsung Electronics and Chinese manufacturers such as Huawei and Xiaomi releasing such products,” said an industry source. According to market research firm DSCC, Samsung Electronics’ share in this market amounted to 87 percent last year and is unlikely to fall below 75 percent even after the debut of Apple’s first foldable smartphone.
In the meantime, Apple recently unveiled the 13th version of the iPhone and many are saying that the new phone is not innovative at all. Immediately after the presentation, Samsung Electronics pointed out that the unfoldable phone is the first iPhone with a scan rate of 120 Hz whereas there are already a lot of Samsung smartphones with that rate.
The ratio of foldable smartphones in the global smartphone market is expected to increase at an increasing pace. According to Counterpoint Research and Strategy Analytics, the size of the market is estimated to reach 90 million units in 2023 and 100 million units in 2025.