With only six days remaining in 2023, the chances of a foldable iPhone debuting this year — previously thought to be a strong possibility — are now nil. But how about a 2024 release date for a hypothetical iPhone Flip reveal?
Unfortunately, the chance does not appear to be improving. While next year was earlier predicted as the likely release date for Apple’s first foldable phone, one of the analysts that first predicted a 2024 release date has subsequently revised their prediction.
“I expected Apple to launch a foldable iPhone as soon as 2024 in my reports last year, but now it’s clear this prediction needs to be revised,” Ming-Chi Kuo stated in a blog post. “I predict Apple may launch its first foldable product in 2025 at the earliest, which may be a foldable iPad or a hybrid of iPad & iPhone.”
We initially noticed this time update in April, and we haven’t had anything more to work with since. The terms “may” and “at the earliest” aren’t exactly upbeat, and others are even less so.
Meanwhile, leaker Revengnus claims that “Apple’s first foldable product” would not arrive until 2027, and it may not even be the iPhone Flip. They suggest a foldable MacBook is coming in the X post, rather than an iPhone.
Samsung Display and LG Display are currently working on projects for Apple’s foldable products, including the 20.25-inch. The release timeframe for Apple’s first foldable product is expected to be in 2027. https://t.co/2aM3LIUnJb
— Revegnus (@Tech_Reve) December 11, 2023
Another reason to be skeptical about Apple delivering an iPhone Flip in 2024: some believe the corporation will first test the waters with a foldable iPad before unleashing the technology on its biggest seller. Given the teething troubles Samsung had with its initial Galaxy Fold in 2018, testing on a smaller market is definitely a wise move.
With no foldable iPad on the horizon, it stands to reason that the iPhone Flip will be even farther down the line — if Apple’s vision of a foldable isn’t an iPhone/iPad hybrid device, as Kuo suggests.
Even if that is true, a new report claims that Apple has put the foldable tablet on hold as it works on its OLED transition. According to Nikkei Asia, there is currently no “concrete timeline” for the tablet’s development.
Is it safe to assume that Apple will not introduce an iPhone Flip next year? No. Apple is notoriously secretive, and considering the sheer amount of foldable patents the corporation has, it appears a foregone conclusion that it is working on a variety of top-secret prototypes in Cupertino.
