Let’s face it, and I am going to be quite brutally honest, mobile phones, even the best ones, just aren’t that exciting anymore. They’re all way more powerful than we really need, they all have nifty multi-lens cameras and they all look essentially the same. I really hoped that folding phones would give a much-needed shot of adrenaline to the industry. But well over a year after their arrival, they’ve fizzled out like a damp firework and left me feeling disappointed. Though maybe given a fresh breath of air, since according to a report from 9to5Mac, Apple could launch its first foldable iPhone in 2023.
This was based on an analyst note from renowned Apple leaker Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities, a financial services group in the Asia-Pacific region. The note included details around the company’s plans for its iPhone line-up over the next few years. As part of this, Kuo said that Apple could launch a 7.5- to 8-inch foldable smartphone by 2023.
This timeline would be dependent on whether the company can “solve the foldable mobile device’s key technology” and ongoing problems in mass production can be fixed this year. Reports that Apple is working on a foldable smartphone have surfaced time and again over the last few years, in particular with regards to patents that Apple had secured for foldable smartphone screens.
According to Front Page Tech analyst Jon Prosser a prototype of a foldable iPhone has actually been developed. His claims were supported by a Bloomberg report which said sources familiar with the matter claimed internal discussions have revolved around a number of foldable screen sizes, including one that unfolds to a similar size as the 6.7-inch display on the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Various designers and publications have also drawn up renders of what the foldable smartphone could look like, including ConceptsiPhone, which has created concepts of both a clamshell and phablet design.
Other iPhone details
Kuo also said that the iPhone 13 Pro will be the first to employ a punch-hole-style front camera in 2022. Subsequently, its 2023 successor will be the first to drop the notch completely. In addition, the top-end model from 2023 will offer an under-display fingerprint reader and periscope camera. Another notable detail is that Kuo does not expect Apple to switch to USB-C charging anytime soon, which means users will have to be content with.
