According to analyst firm CCS Insight, who predicted Apple would soon start experimenting with foldable technology, the company will most likely release an iPad with a folding screen in 2024.
On Tuesday, CCS Insight released its annual predictions report, in which the company’s analysts project upcoming trends and products.
According to the most recent report from CCS Insight, Apple will introduce a foldable iPad in two years instead of a foldable iPhone first.
This is the opposite of other smartphone manufacturers like Samsung, who introduced foldable smartphones rather than tablets.
“A foldable iPhone is not currently necessary for Apple to produce. According to Ben Wood, chief of research at CCS Insight, “we believe they will reject that fad and perhaps try out a foldable iPad.
“Apple will be taking a huge risk by releasing a folding iPhone. To avoid cannibalizing the current iPhones, it would first have to be extremely expensive, Wood continued.
The analyst said a foldable iPhone would likely cost around $2,500. The most expensive model currently available from Apple is the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which has the most storage and costs about $1,599.
Wood added that if Apple encountered any technical difficulties with the foldable phone, there would be a “feeding frenzy” among detractors who would blame Apple for the issues.
Even so, Wood claimed that Apple “has no choice but to respond because the trend toward foldable is gathering momentum. Consequently, the business will launch with an iPad.
According to him, Apple would have the opportunity to experiment with and scale foldable screen technology and “breathe new life” into the iPad line.
There have been numerous rumblings regarding Apple’s plans for products with foldable screens. Apple is unlikely to enter the foldable smartphone market until 2025, according to a report from market research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants earlier this year. However, the business claimed that Apple is looking into foldable technology for screens about 20 inches in size. The market research firm suggested concentrating on a brand-new foldable notebook product.
However, rumors of a foldable iPhone have been circulating for at least four years. The well-known Apple analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities, renowned for his accurate predictions, predicted last year that the company might introduce a folding iPhone in 2024.
Apple combines 5G and a processor in the chip.
CCS Insight also predicts that Apple will continue investing in its 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 connect to mobile internet networks for 5G connectivity.
However, CCS Insight said that Apple will likely integrate its 5G modem into the A series of the processor for a “single-chip” solution for iPhones in 2025.
2019 saw Apple purchase the modem division of Intel. This sparked rumors that the tech giant would quickly abandon Qualcomm and switch to using its own modems in its products. That hasn’t happened yet, though.
In June, Kuo of TF International Securities stated that he expects the company to keep using Qualcomm chips in iPhones in 2023.
Wood claimed that Apple has been “ramping up in-house capabilities to use its own modems in iPhones.”
“They’ve been aiming for this target for years (Apple). According to Wood, they bought the modem unit’s assets from Intel, have been working hard to upgrade it, and are keen to ensure that their control points continue to expand.
“They don’t want to keep paying a third-party supplier for their technology.”
Source: CCS Insight