As usual, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is attempting to predict what comes next for Apple and the iPhone, and his latest prediction will be an eye-opener for consumers if it turns out to be correct.
As 9To5Mac reports, Kuo believes that Apple is aiming to ship between 15-20 million foldable iPhones in 2023. Kuo makes his predictions using information obtained from the supply chain, and through his sources he believes Apple is working on an 8-inch device that will rely on a foldable OLED display supplied by Samsung.
Tapping Samsung for the display is the obvious choice at the moment. Apple's long-time manufacturing partner and smartphone rival already has foldable devices on the market and is confident enough with the technology now to offer 100 day trials for its Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G and Galaxy Z Flip 5G. By 2023 the display tech will have only improved.
Apple embracing foldable tech for a future iPhone should come as no surprise considering what Samsung is already doing, but also because other manufacturers are starting to experiment. And although Apple isn't talking about it publicly, behind the scenes work is already under way and patents are being filed.
Foldable devices today rely on plastic rather than glass for the display simply because nobody has yet made glass capable of bending enough to survive daily abuse. Gorilla Glass, which is best known for producing highly-durable glass for mobile devices, has been working on foldable glass for phones since 2019, although it's currently unclear if and when it will be ready for use in consumer device.