Blue Whale News, July 24th (Reporter Zhang Han) News about Apple's development of foldable screens has been circulating every once in a while, but this time there is a clearer timeline and product form.
On the evening of July 23rd local time, according to the Silicon Valley technology media The Information citing informed sources, Apple is developing a foldable iPhone, which could be released as early as 2026. In recent months, they have contacted Asian suppliers to manufacture components for the device, similar in shape to Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip released in 2020.
A week ago, according to the latest list published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Apple obtained a design patent for a foldable iPhone, focusing on how to improve the durability of the foldable screen. Apple has also explored two solutions in its patents to improve the durability of foldable screens. The first is to reduce the thickness of folding and bending parts, making the glass thinner; The second is to make the other parts of the screen thicker. On June 4th, according to South Korean media outlet thelec, Apple sent an Information Request (RFI) related to the development of foldable products to Samsung Display and LG Display. RFI is a document exchanged during the stage before the complete set manufacturer sends a quotation request (RFQ) to the component manufacturer after the product specifications are determined. In the RFI stage, the main task is to inquire about the technical information required for product development. At that time, Apple had not yet decided whether the form of this product would be book folding or flip folding.
But according to the latest news from The Information, Apple has recently created an internal codename V68 for the product, which means that this idea is no longer in the conceptual stage and is now working with suppliers to develop the product. Apple has always been known for releasing perfect products, and if it does not meet Apple's requirements, it cannot guarantee that a foldable iPhone will eventually be released. There are still some issues that hinder the development of foldable iPhone products, such as how to eliminate the creases formed in the middle of the display after repeated folding, how to develop thinner and lighter products, and so on.
Although the answer has not been submitted yet, according to the information disclosed by various parties, Apple's emphasis on foldable screens is increasing, which is also related to the current development status of foldable screens in the entire smartphone market. According to The Information's report, the shape of Apple's first foldable iPhone is not a horizontally symmetrical large fold, but a vertically folded small fold.
According to IDC data, in the Chinese foldable phone market in 2023, the market share of small foldable phones will be 23%, a decrease of 10% year-on-year, while the market share of large foldable phones will be 68%. This means that the current market recognition and acceptance of small foldable phones are far less than that of large foldable phones. If Apple enters the small foldable phone market, it may also bring new changes.
Samsung has always been aggressive towards foldable screens. On July 23rd, Samsung's domestic Galaxy Z Flip6 small folding went on sale with a starting price of 7999 yuan. Among domestic mobile phone manufacturers, Honor and Xiaomi are active followers of small foldable screens, but OPPO and vivo, which have already developed small foldable screens earlier, have become more cautious this year. In mid February of this year, Guo Mingchi, an analyst at Tianfeng Securities, stated in a report that OPPO and vivo had stopped their plans to release new models with up and down discounts, which were originally expected to be released in 2024. However, there has been no official response. However, it can be seen that vivo did not update its small folding screen product line when releasing the X Fold 3 series.
A mobile phone industry practitioner told Blue Whale News that the position of small foldable phones in the mobile phone market is quite awkward, with prices similar to flagship phones, high costs, poor range, and average user experience, resulting in weak market competitiveness. But Honor and Xiaomi want to change the market's perception in their own way and reverse the current situation of small folding.
On June 13th, Honor released its first small folding product, Magic V Flip, with a starting price of 4999 yuan. Honor CEO Zhao Ming said in a media interview after the press conference, "In the past few years, we have made external folding first and then small folding. The core reason is that we believe that when the concept of small folding has not truly broken through, making small folding has no value and meaning. Only by truly solving the battery life of small folding, the use of small folding external screens as the main screen, and the connection and coordination between internal and external screens can it be launched." Its starting price of 4999 yuan is 2000-3000 yuan lower than the general price of small folding in the domestic market. Zhao Ming revealed that "the shipment volume of small folding needs to reach more than one million units to achieve breakeven
Through Zhao Ming's conversation and exchange, it can be seen that Honor believes that the core of the product experience of small folding lies in the external screen, and the closed small screen is the unique value of small folding, which is basically consistent with Xiaomi's viewpoint.
At the just concluded Lei Jun 2024 Annual Speech and New Product Launch Conference last week, Lei Jun unveiled Xiaomi's first small folding product, MIX Flip, with a starting price of 5999 yuan. Lei Jun used his expertise in marketing to leave an impression on the market with this small folding product. He said he wants to turn "beautiful little waste" into "beautiful little cuties" and "beautiful little magic machines". On the evening of July 23rd, during the "2024 Annual Speech Return Live", Lei Jun once again promoted the MIX Flip, emphasizing not only the battery life, but also the handheld experience when using the external screen, and using the iPhone 4 as an analogy. We actually initiated the project for the small folding five years ago, and I killed many versions in the middle until it matured, "Lei Jun said.
After several years of development, the market recognition of foldable screens has gradually increased. However, there have been differences in attitude towards small foldable screens. If Apple can really launch small foldable products, it may bring a new round of changes.