Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks at an event on the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California, on Sept. 7, 2022. At a presentation dubbed Far Out, Apple is about to unveil the iPhone 14 line, a fresh slate of smartwatches and recent AirPods.
Nic Coury | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Apple will likely launch an iPad with a folding screen in 2024, analyst firm CCS Insight said on Tuesday, forecasting the U.S. technology giant will begin experimenting with foldable technology soon.
CCS Insight published its annual predictions report on Tuesday through which the group’ analysts make forecasts about future products and trends.
In the newest report, CCS Insight predicted Apple would launch a foldable iPad in two years’ time slightly than start with a foldable iPhone.
That is contrary to other smartphone makers like Samsung which have launched foldable smartphones slightly than tablets.
“Immediately it doesn’t make sense for Apple to make a foldable iPhone. We expect they may shun that trend and possibly dip a toe within the water with a foldable iPad,” Ben Wood, chief of research at CCS Insight, told CNBC in an interview.
“A folding iPhone might be super high risk for Apple. Firstly, it will need to be incredibly expensive with the intention to not cannibalize the prevailing iPhones,” Wood added.
The analyst said that a foldable iPhone would likely have to cost around $2,500. Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro Max with the biggest storage, which is the most costly model currently, costs around $1,599.
Wood also said that if Apple had any technical issues with the foldable phone, then it will be a “feeding frenzy” with critics attacking Apple for the issues.
Still, Apple has “no option but to react since the trend toward foldables is gathering momentum,” Wood said, hence the corporate will begin with an iPad.
He said it will give Apple a probability to learn find out how to implement and scale foldable screen technology in addition to “breathe recent life” into the iPad range.
Apple was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.
There have been quite a lot of rumblings about Apple’s intentions with foldable screen products. Earlier this yr, market research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants said Apple is unlikely to enter the foldable smartphone market until 2025 on the earliest. Nevertheless, the corporate said that Apple is exploring foldable technology for displays of around 20 inches in size. That could possibly be focused on a recent foldable notebook product, the market research company said.
Predictions a couple of foldable iPhone meanwhile have been around for at the very least 4 years. Last yr, Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities, a distinguished Apple analyst known for his credible predictions, said the corporate could release an iPhone with a folding screen in 2024.
Apple to mix 5G and processor in chip
CCS Insight also predicts that Apple will proceed investing in its own chip design.
Currently, the Cupertino giant designs its own custom chips for iPhone and iPad. It relies on U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm for modems that allow these devices to hook up with mobile web networks for 5G connectivity.
Nevertheless, CCS Insight said that Apple is prone to integrate its own 5G modem into the A series of processor for a “single-chip” solution for iPhones in 2025.
Apple acquired Intel’s modem business in 2019. That led to speculation that the tech giant would in a short time ditch Qualcomm and use its own modems in its devices. Nevertheless, that hasn’t happened yet.
Kuo of TF International Securities said in June he expects the corporate to proceed to make use of Qualcomm chips for iPhones released in 2023.
Wood said that Apple has been “ramping up in-house capabilities” so it could possibly use its own modems in iPhones.
“They (Apple) have been shooting for this goal for years. They acquired the assets from Intel of the modem unit, they’ve been working hard to ramp that up, they’re very keen to be sure they continue to grow their control points they’ve,” Wood said.
“They don’t need to need to keep paying a 3rd party supplier for his or her technology.”
