In the technology circle, Apple's trends have always attracted attention, after all, the devices that can be included in Apple's product line are all markets that start at the level of 100 billion.
The recent rumors that Apple will release a foldable iPhone are particularly curious - is Apple finally going to enter the field of folding screens and push the phone to the ultra-high-end?
Previously, Apple's patents in the field of folding screens have shown Apple's strong interest in folding screen technology. But in terms of specific implementation and productization, Apple seems to be still hovering in the fog and making indecisive moves.
According to foreign media The Elec, Apple is considering launching its first 7- to 8-inch foldable device in 2026 and 2027. This folding screen device may be classified as an iPhone product line, and it may also replace the current 83-inch iPad mini.
This news is undoubtedly exciting, but it also raises a series of questions - at present, major mobile phone manufacturers regard folding screens as the high-end selling point of mobile phones, with the aim of selling ultra-high-end mobile phones to high-end people, rather than directly folding the tablet to improve portability while sacrificing its reliability.
Although there is not much news at present, but from the black cat's personal point of view, Apple's first foldable device is most likely to belong to the iPhone product line, not to replace the iPad mini.
The news also mentioned that Apple is also working on a new generation of iPad mini, and this device will be equipped with an OLED screen, which also confirms my speculation from the side.
Although the foldable screen has a screen size of 7 to 8 inches, it does not affect the existing iPad product line, but is a completely new track. I've got a name in mind – let's call it iPhone V.
At the same time, it is developing an 8-inch folding screen, as well as an 8-inch iPad mini, this seemingly contradictory strategy reflects a real problem: Apple's market positioning of folding screens is not clear, and the existing product line can fully meet the normal needs of normal users.
In my opinion, the core value of folding screens is to provide "social value" for high-end users. In order to do this, the design and pricing of the folding screen iPhone must be enough to "break away from the masses".
You must know that in the United States, the top-of-the-line iPhone 15 Pro Max is just a "thousand-yuan machine".
*On the chain front, Samsung and LG Display have already started providing samples of foldable panels to Apple. In addition, it is reported that Apple is also working on a 20The 5-inch foldable device is likely to be the foldable version of the future iPad Pro.
Those who are familiar with Apple know that Apple is not the fastest when it comes to new technologies, but it can often come up with perfect solutions. Therefore, studying Apple is to study the standard answer in a field, which has a strong reference value.
This is true for AirPods, Apple Pencil, Apple Watch, and the latest Vision Pro headset. When Apple launches the folding screen, I believe that the Android camp will popularize it to a price below 4000 yuan.