Kuo: Apple 'actively testing' 9-inch foldable device, predicts 2025 launch
What you need to know
- A new report claims Apple is "actively testing" a 9-inch foldable device.
- Ming-Chi Kuo says the device is being tested "to verify key technologies" and may not be the final product spec.
- He further predicts that Apple will release a foldable iPhone in 2025 "at the earliest."
Apple is reportedly testing a 9-inch foldable device according to one supply chain insider, who predicts the device could launch in 2025 "at the earliest."
In response to Friday reports that Apple is collaborating with LG on new foldable OLED displays, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, a highly-renowned leaker of accurate information about Apple's future plans, states that the company is "actively testing a 9-inch foldable device.
Taking to Twitter Kuo stated:
Kuo notes the testing device is for the purpose of ensuring the technology works, so many not be the final product spec. Kuo further speculates that he thinks the order of priority for Apple's foldable development schedule is "medium, large & small." Kuo says the new device will adopt an integrated Touch and Display screen (TDDI).
He went on to say that it was clear he needed to revise a prediction he had made stating that Apple could launch a foldable in 2024, stating that 2025 now appears to be a more realistic goal:
As noted, he now predicts that this device isn't going to launch until 2025, and may be either a foldable iPad or a foldable iPad/iPhone hybrid.
We have heard multiple previous reports that Apple is working on folding devices, including a new iPhone. Ross Young stated in February that DSCC had also delayed its expectations of a foldable iPhone to 2025:
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Apple is expected to replace its current best iPhone, the iPhone 13, with a new model later this year that will be decidedly not foldable, sporting a better processor and camera upgrades compared to the previous model.
Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design. Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9