Latest news with #MingChiKuo
GSM Arena
5 hours ago
- Business
- GSM Arena
iPhone Fold's crease-free folding screen to be made by Samsung Display
Once again, a new rumor claims Apple's first foldable iPhone will use a crease-free folding screen made by Samsung Display. In fact, Apple had no input into the panel's design, it's all Samsung on this one - and this is notable because of how rarely it happens, as Apple generally likes to customize every single part it uses in its devices. Not this time, though, and the reason is allegedly to "ensure stable mass production" of the foldable iPhone, planned to arrive in the second half of next year. A custom display solution may not have achieved the same yields as what Samsung Display can offer with its own design. Apple's decision to go all-in with Samsung Display's crease-free solution will benefit the latter's suppliers, including Fine M-Tec, a key provider of internal hinges, which has emerged as the leading beneficiary according to Ming-Chi Kuo, a renowned source of Apple-related information from the supply chains. According to him, Fine M-Tec will have an 80% share (or more) of the supply of this part. The internal hinge is a key part of a crease-free folding screen, as this metal plate helps distribute and control bending stress, preventing the display material from exceeding its elastic limit. And that's how the likelihood of creasing is minimized, Kuo explains. For all of this to work, the metal plate must be highly integrated with the display design, and that's exactly what Samsung Display and Fine M-Tec have achieved. For Apple's folding iPhone, laser drilling will be used to create microstructures that better guide stress distribution and enhance crease resistance. Fine M-Tec should start shipping display metal plates for the foldable iPhone in the first quarter of next year, with unit prices apparently being in the $30-35 range. Shipments are reportedly expected to reach 13-15 million units in 2026, but those aren't the projected sales numbers for the iPhone Fold - they will be lower, more such plates need to be produced than actual iPhone Folds shipped due to yield losses and repair stock requirements. Source
Gizmodo
7 hours ago
- Gizmodo
Can Apple Actually Make a Foldable iPhone With a ‘Crease-Free' Display?
Samsung has set the bar high for foldables with its latest Galaxy Z Fold 7. The book-style foldable really is jaw-dropping. Apple's answer to it with a foldable iPhone needs to be even better. But how? Apple supply chain snoop Ming-Chi Kuo believes Apple's rumored foldable iPhone could come with a 'crease-free display'… made by Samsung. Yes, really. You see, as thin, light, and sleek as the Z Fold 7 is, the crease running down the 8-inch folding screen is still visible. Samsung says the display has a 50% thicker glass surface than the Z Fold 6, and the hinge has been redesigned for greater durability, but the display seam is still there. Every fold deepens it. Apple could have an engineering solution, according to Kuo. In his latest report, the component sleuth said he believes Apple's rumored foldable iPhone, slated for release sometime in the first half of 2026, will have a folding screen made by Samsung Display, the display arm within Samsung. You may be chuckling at the irony of Apple using a folding screen from Samsung, but iPhones already have OLED displays made by Samsung Display. Samsung sells consumer electronics with its own logo slapped on them, but it's also in the business of selling components, like screens, batteries, and camera sensors, to other brands. Apple's secret to a crease-free screen on its foldable iPhone might be a 'display metal plate,' reports Kuo. I'll just quote his reasoning: The primary cause of creasing in foldable phone displays is stress concentration at the fold points during repeated bending, which leads to material fatigue and permanent deformation. A metal plate helps distribute and control bending stress, preventing the display material from exceeding its elastic limit and thereby minimizing the likelihood of creases. The metal plate must be highly integrated with the display design. Therefore, SDC's crease-free solution for Apple includes a metal plate designed and manufactured by Fine M-Tec. I'm no materials engineer, but distributing and controlling bending stress along the folding screen to reduce deformation checks out with me. Like I said, every fold on today's crop of foldables—book-style or flip-style like the Z Flip 7—deepens the crease after launch day. The display fold may look perfectly smooth when you first unbox it, but over time, it only becomes more visible. Would Apple, famous for its obsession with details, really follow Android makers down the path of foldables if it can't solve the one blemish that nobody else has figured out? Steve Jobs and Jony Ive would have never allowed it, but Apple's design team will soon report to Tim Cook, and maybe he doesn't give a shit about creases so long as it helps push Apple TV+ subscriptions and boost the stock price.
CNET
9 hours ago
- Business
- CNET
Apple Reportedly Taps Samsung Display for First Foldable iPhone Screens
As we saw earlier this year, Samsung Display knows folds. And apparently that innovation has led them to a major win -- producing crease-free displays for the iPhone's first foldable cell phone in 2026. Samsung Display (SDC), which is an entirely separate company from Samsung itself and produces screens for many other companies, will reportedly begin mass production of its flexible folding screens later this year in time for Apple's foldable iPhone launch in summer 2026, as reported by Korea JoongAng Daily. Rumors that Apple will launch its first folding iPhone, possibly called the iPhone Flip, in 2026 are growing stronger all the time, but Tuesday's report seems to indicate that Apple will not be producing its crease-free screens in house. Industry insider Ming-Chi Kuo says the move could mean that Apple is more confident in SDC to "ensure stable mass production of the foldable iPhone in 2026." In a phone market increasingly populated with foldables, Apple has taken its time to do it right (and they'd better). And why not deploy a company like Samsung Display, which boasts innovations include a double-folding display and even stretchable screens.
CNET
5 days ago
- Business
- CNET
Apple Has Big Vision Pro Plans for 2027, Including Smart Glasses, Analyst Says
Apple will release multiple head-mounted AR and VR products in 2027, according to respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities. An upgraded Vision Pro headset will also drop later this year, the report last week said. There are three Vision series products currently in development, along with four pairs of smart glasses. A Ray-Ban Meta-style smart glasses product will see 3 million to 5 million shipments in 2027. Apple expects to ship more than 10 million AR/VR products in 2027, suggesting the company sees this as the next major consumer tech category. However, later this year, according to the report, Apple will release the Vision Pro M5 Version, which will feature an upgrade from Apple's M2 chip. And in 2027, the report says Apple will release a lighter Vision Air that'll feature a 40% reduction in weight and will be powered by the latest iPhone processor. A second-generation Vision Pro is slated for 2028 with a brand new and "significantly lighter" design at a lower price. On the smart glasses end, a mass market displayless pair of frames will see a 2027 release. For those wanting an XR experience, extended reality glasses with a built-in see-through color display will come out in 2028, and those will feature AI connectivity. Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Smart glasses market is continuing to grow The global smart glasses market was valued at $1.93 billion in 2024 and is projected to rise to $8.26 billion by 2030, according to Grand View Research. It's why many players in Big Tech are jumping in on creating the next generation of wearable technology. Meta, along with its Ray-Ban and Oakley-branded smart glasses, has shown off its Orion prototype, featuring a transparent display that can project information on the lens. Earlier this year, Google unveiled Android XR, its new AR and VR platform, along with glasses made in collaboration with Qualcomm and Samsung. Chipmaker Nvidia is also working on AI models to help the smart glasses experience. In this race, Meta has the most to gain since it doesn't own a phone or computing platform and is largely beholden to rule changes from Apple, Microsoft and Google. However, gaining a footing in the AR and VR space could allow it to own both a hardware and software stack in smart glasses market. But Apple has massive brand loyalty, and entrance into this space would be a major threat to Meta's current market dominance. At the moment, the Ray-Ban Meta glasses have sold 2 million units, and its Quest VR headset have also pushed 20 million units.
Gizmodo
5 days ago
- Gizmodo
Apple's Next Vision Pro May Come Sooner Than You Think, but With One Big Letdown
It may feel like Apple has given up on its used car-priced 'spatial computer,' the Vision Pro, but according to a report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the iPhone maker's next-gen headset might arrive a lot sooner than you think, and that price may not be coming down. According to Gurman, an 'upgraded' Vision Pro could be released 'as early as this year.' The headset will reportedly be aimed at 'improving performance' and enhancing 'comfort.' Bloomberg says this next iteration of the Vision Pro will have a new processor that's faster and better equipped to run AI, and a new strap for added comfort. Specifically, the next Vision Pro will reportedly use the M4 chip—the same one in the latest MacBook Airs and Mac mini—as opposed to the M2 in the current generation, and the new strap will be designed specifically to reduce neck strain, which is a welcome goal since anyone who's used the Vision Pro for an extended period has likely noticed that it's I'm not seeing on this list of objectives is anything that would connote the next Vision Pro being more affordable. That's because it probably won't be. Supply chain sleuth Ming Chi-Kuo has previously reported that a more affordable headset may not arrive until 2027, which is quite a wait considering the already tepid demand for the current generation. An equally expensive headset will also likely do little to convince more people to buy a Vision Pro. While the Vision Pro has far and away the best hardware and UI of any commercial headset on the market, $3,500 is too big an ask for a gadget that most people just don't need. At the end of the day, headsets are still considered to be more toys than actual get-shit-done kinds of devices, which makes them a difficult proposition in general, but especially on the premium end. Just ask Meta and its flop of a headset, the Quest Pro. At $1,500 the Quest Pro was geared more toward work and 'professional' uses, which, as you may already know, did not translate to lots of people for several reasons. The vast majority of people out there have had little to no experience with VR or XR headsets, which makes the idea of going from zero to 'pro' pretty daunting. The Vision Pro still hits a lot of the same notes—it's expensive and was marketed somewhat towards productivity. If nothing else, a new Vision Pro headset—even one that's still too expensive—will signal to the rest of the field that Apple hasn't given up on XR. Is that an expensive and time-consuming way of doing that? Yes, it is. But this is one of the most resourced hardware companies in the world, and I guess if you have the pockets to do it, and you're really committed to XR hardware, it's worth another spin at the XR/AR wheel.
