Apple expected to unveil first folding phone, with new CEO in command
Analyst firm, IDC, Apple to secure 40% of foldable phone niche by end of next year.
Apple is anticipated to introduce its inaugural folding iPhone during a launch event on Wednesday at its headquarters in Cupertino, California. The occasion, the first under new CEO John Ternus, marks a significant transformation of the company's flagship product since the removal of the physical home button from the iPhone X in 2017.
The iPhone generated $209.6 billion, just over half of Apple's sales, in its most recent fiscal year. Ternus, who previously headed Apple's hardware division, will make his first major public appearance at the keynote address, where he will aim to convince customers that a foldable device, costing over $2,000, is necessary. Despite Samsung and Huawei selling folding phones since 2019, these products have primarily appealed to tech enthusiasts.
However, even with a high price tag, analysts predict Apple will sell every foldable iPhone it manufactures and achieve a 40% share of the lucrative niche by the end of next year. They also anticipate Apple to excel in creating a durable and unobtrusive hinge mechanism, as well as improving the foldable device's resistance to dust and water, areas where Google's Pixel 10 Pro Fold has outperformed Samsung's models.
Wednesday's event is also expected to signal a substantial shift in Apple's product release schedule. Although analysts expect the company to unveil new watches, updates to more affordable iPhone models are anticipated only next spring, with the event focusing solely on the new folding device and its iPhone Pro and Pro Max lineup.
This strategy aims to streamline Apple's annual sales cycle, which typically experiences a significant revenue increase during the year-end holiday quarter in the US and Europe.
Written by urgent.news from SABC News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
