I still don’t think that Apple will release a foldable iPhone, but IDC expects worldwide shipments of foldable phones, including flip and fold form factors, to reach 21.4 million units in 2023.
This represents an increase of more than 50% over the 14.2 million units shipped in 2022. An updated IDC forecast projects that foldable phone shipments will reach 48.1 million units in 2027 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27.6% from 2022 to 2027.
The research group says that foldable phones “remain the one positive talking point in a market that declined more than 11% in 2022.” Although average selling prices (ASPs) are dropping slightly, foldables remain in the premium price segments in all regional markets, according to IDC.
“The foldable phone market finished slightly higher than previously forecast as consumers start to embrace the new form factor,” says Anthony Scarsella, research manager, Mobile Phones at IDC. “A 10% decline in ASP helped the market grow 75.5% in 2022, as foldable devices became more affordable in numerous markets. With new vendors and models joining the race this year, we expect the foldable market to be the one bright spot in 2023 with 50.5% growth, while the total smartphone market contracts 1.1%.”
However, the Sellers Research Group (that’s me) thinks we’ll see a curved iPhone before a foldable one. Why?
As noted by the Make Use Of website, since the screen on a foldable phone folds and unfolds several times a day, it wrinkles down the middle and leaves a noticeable crease. This can prove to be interrupting in daily use as you slide your finger across the screen.
Also, as the article notes, dust is a big problem for foldable phones because they have a lot of moving parts. If any small dust particle enters the phone body via any one of its openings, it can cause problems and potentially kill the device.
Finally, Make Use Of notes that making a foldable phone means sacrificing a lot of internal real estate to house all the moving parts. The hinge itself takes up a lot of space.
“Due to this, foldable phones often have mediocre battery life—at least not as good as what they could have if the moving parts didn’t take up so much space,” notes Make Use Of.
As for an “iPhone Curve,” Apple has filed for various patents that hint at a curved iPhone with a wraparound display. For example, patent filing 202200111822 is for an “electronic device with wrap around display.” It’s designed to expand “the functionality of portable electronics devices by providing a more efficient mechanism for presenting visual content is disclosed.
Article provided with permission from AppleWorld.Today
