Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that Apple's (AAPL.US) first foldable iPhone will be priced above US$2,000-US$2,500.

On March 6, Guo Mingqi, an analyst at Tianfeng International Securities who has been tracking Apple's (AAPL.US) supply chain for many years, released his prediction on Apple's first foldable iPhone. He said that the initial foldable iPhone is expected to be priced above US$2,000-2,500; the final specifications will be determined in the second quarter of 2025, and the project will be officially launched in the third quarter of 2025, with mass production expected in the fourth quarter of 2026. The second-generation foldable iPhone is expected to be mass-produced in the second half of 2027. Market positioning: A true AI phone: Multimodal and cross-app usage is a trend in the usage scenarios of future AI devices, so the larger the screen of the phone, the more beneficial it is for AI user experience. For example, when discussing travel plans with a chatbot, it can present the map app in full. The highest-end iPhone model: The initial foldable iPhone is expected to be priced above US$2,000-2,500. Since the iPhone is a necessity of life and Apple's brand value is high, as long as the quality is good enough, even if the initial foldable iPhone is priced high, it is expected to drive a strong demand for upgrading. Hardware specifications: Touch ID returns in the form of a side button, and it is expected that there will be no Face ID (due to thickness and space constraints). It adopts a left-right fold design (book style) and is equipped with an inner screen of about 7.8 inches (without creases) and an outer screen of about 5.5 inches. The rear camera adopts a dual-lens design, with a front camera on each side when opened and folded. The thickness is about 9-9.5mm when folded and about 4.5-4.8mm when opened. The bearings adopt a composite material including stainless steel and titanium. The casing material is titanium. The same high-density cell as the ultra-thin iPhone is adopted. Development timeline: The final specifications will be determined in the second quarter of 2025, and the project will be officially launched in the third quarter of 2025, with mass production expected in the fourth quarter of 2026. The second-generation foldable iPhone is expected to be mass-produced in the second half of 2027. Shipment forecast: Since the initial foldable iPhone has extremely high production difficulty, its volume may not be large until 2027. The shipment volume is estimated to be 3-5 million units in 2026. Considering the second-generation foldable iPhone, the total shipment volume of foldable iPhones in 2027 is estimated to reach 20 million units.