Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks at an event at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California, on September 7, 2022. At a presentation called Far Out, Apple is set to announce the line iPhone 14, a new range of smartwatches and AirPods. .
Nic Coury | Bloomberg | beautiful pictures
Apple Analyst firm CCS Insight said on Tuesday it is likely to launch a foldable iPad in 2024, predicting the US tech giant will soon begin testing the foldable technology.
CCS Insight released its annual forecast report on Tuesday, in which the team’s analysts provide forecasts for future products and trends.
In its latest report, CCS Insight predicts Apple will launch a foldable iPad in two years’ time instead of starting with a foldable iPhone.
This is in contrast to other smartphone manufacturers like Samsung which have Launch of a foldable smartphone rather than a tablet.
Ben Wood, research lead at CCS Insight, told CNBC: “It doesn’t make sense for Apple to make a foldable iPhone right now. We think they’ll move away from that trend and maybe Dip a toe in water with a foldable iPad.” in an interview.
“A folding iPhone would be super risky for Apple. First, it would have to be extremely expensive to not be able to eat existing iPhones,” Wood added.
The analyst says that a foldable iPhone will likely need to cost around $2,500. Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro Max with the largest storage capacity, is the most expensive model today, priced at about $1,599.
Wood also said that if Apple had any technical problems with the foldable phone, it would be a “rage” with critics attacking Apple for the problems.
However, Apple “has no choice but to react because the trend towards foldables is gaining momentum,” Wood said, so the company will start with the iPad.
He said it would give Apple an opportunity to learn how to deploy and scale the foldable display technology and “breath new life” into the iPad range.
Apple was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.
There has been some talk about Apple’s intentions with foldable display products. Earlier this year, market research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants speak Apple is unlikely to enter the foldable smartphone market until 2025 at the earliest. However, the company says that Apple is exploring foldable technology for screens around 20 inches in size. That could center on a new foldable laptop product, the market research firm said.
Prediction of foldable iPhone meanwhile has been around for at least four years. Last year, Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities, a prominent Apple analyst known for his reliable predictions, said the company could issue a Folding iPhone in 2024.
Apple combines 5G and in-chip processors
CCS Insight also predicts that Apple will continue to invest in its own chip design.
Currently, the Cupertino giant designs its own custom chips for iPhones and iPads. It relies on the American chip maker Qualcomm for modems that allow these devices to connect to the mobile internet for 5G connectivity.
However, CCS Insight says Apple is likely to integrate its own 5G modem into A-series processors for a “single chip” solution for iPhones by 2025.
Apple acquires Intel’s modem business in 2019. That led to speculation that the tech giant would quickly abandon Qualcomm and use its own modems in its devices. However, that has not happened yet.
TF International Securities’ Kuo said in June he expects the company to continue to use Qualcomm chips for iPhones launched in 2023.
Wood said that Apple has “enhanced its internal capabilities” so it can use its own modem in the iPhone.
“They (Apple) have been targeting this for years. They buy assets from Intel of the modem unit, they’ve worked hard to strengthen that, they’re very keen to make sure they continue to develop the control points they have,” Wood said.
“They don’t want to have to keep paying third-party vendors for their technology.”
