Foldable iPhone with a screen larger than an iPad mini coming in 2023, top Apple analyst predicts

Apple CEO, Tim Cook waves as he opens the door of the newly renovated Apple Store at Fifth Avenue on September 20, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Kena Betancur / AFP) (Photo credit should read KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images)

KENA BETANCUR | AFP | Getty Images

A top Apple analyst predicted Monday that the company will likely launch a foldable iPhone in 2023.

TFI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that based on an industry survey, he believes the foldable iPhone will reach 15 million to 20 million units in 2023. The new model will likely have an 8-inch foldable OLED display, according to Kuo. That means it might work like an iPhone that can open up to a tablet with a screen slightly larger than the 7.9-inch display on an iPad mini.

The foldable model is now a "must-have" for major smartphone brands, Kuo said in a note to clients.

"After 5G, the foldable smartphone is the next innovative selling point of high-end models," he wrote.

Samsung, Huawei and Xiaomi have each introduced models, though the price still make them relatively inaccessible to most consumers. Apple has some hurdles it may need to overcome. All of Apple's iPads, for example, support drawing input with an Apple Pencil. But most foldable phones don't support pen input since they're relatively fragile compared with traditional phone screens.

Kuo said Apple is poised to lead the foldable device trend, which he said "will blur the product segmentations between smartphones, tablets, and laptops."

An Apple spokesperson was not immediately available to comment on Kuo's note.

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