Samsung reportedly signs deal to supply Apple with foldable displays

Last week we mentioned that Haitong International Securities analyst Jeff Pu passed along a note to clients calling for Apple to start mass production of a 20.3-inch foldable device late next year. This device would be a hybrid MacBook-iPad and would be followed by the mass production of a foldable iPhone in 2026. Earlier this year, a report noted that Apple was leaning toward developing a foldable MacBook over a foldable iPhone because the screen on the latter would be too fragile for a device that fits in a user's pocket.

Samsung must have convinced Apple of the durability of its foldable displays because a report from DigiTimes (via Wccftech) claims that Apple and Samsung have signed a deal that will lead to a Samsung-supplied display for a foldable device from Apple. It isn't clear whether such a deal would include a display for the aforementioned hybrid device, whether it covers only the display for a foldable iPhone, or if the signed pact covers foldable displays for both rumored products.

There is very little resistance to the notion that the penetration rate of foldable phones would grow sharply after the launch of a foldable iPhone. TrendForce says that last year, foldables were responsible for 1.6% of global smartphone shipments and expects this figure to exceed 5% by 2027 although that number does not include Apple's long-awaited entry into the market. At this stage, Apple is the one major phone manufacturer that has yet to ship a foldable product.

Pu's report to clients last week said that Apple is reportedly testing two different internal screen sizes for the foldable iPhone, 7.9 inches and 8.3 inches. The internal screen on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 weighs in at 7.6 inches. Based on Pu's note, it would appear that Apple is developing a book-style foldable iPhone that will open and close around a vertical axis.

The analyst also said that Apple has "accelerated" its work on foldable devices based on the "increasing visibility" of foldable components spotted on Apple's supply chain checks. Pu adds that the hybrid Mac Book-iPad foldable would be part of the "ultra high-end market." Translation? Expect such a device to have a very high price tag.