Will Apple get into the race for foldable smartphones? The question is being asked more and more seriously, according to Engadget, which is based on the statements of analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who reportedly told investors of the brand's desire to position itself from 2023. According to a report based on an industry survey, 15 to 20 million units could even be on the market as early as 2023.

According to Ming-Chi Kuo, who had already mentioned the idea last March, the model would be equipped with a large 8-inch OLED screen supplied by Samsung, one of the market leaders. The phone would also be compatible with the Silver Nanowire technology provided by TPK this time, one of its suppliers which would have more advantages than its competitor Samsung.

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Samsung leader

For the highly reputable analyst, eventually, if Apple were to release a foldable iPhone, it could replace the iPad mini. And while the launch of the model is still speculation, Ming-Chi Kuo expects other brands to release new foldable phone models. He cites Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi or Honor which could launch them at the end of the year or in 2022. In his predictions, the analyst already announces that Apple will become "the big winner of the new trend of foldable devices" thanks to in particular to "its advantages in material design" if its phone works.

But be careful, if the tests are not conclusive, it could never see the light of day. Similarly, if customers are not there, Apple could quickly abandon the model. For now, the leaders in the sector remain the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, the Motorola Razr, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 or the Huawei Mate Xs. For comparison, Samsung sold around three million foldable smartphones last year.