Apple plans five new iPhone models including foldable
Apple is reportedly planning to release at least five new iPhone models, including its first foldable device, according to a report.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Apple is reportedly preparing to launch at least five new iPhone models, including its first foldable device, according to a report. The move comes as the company faces increasing competition in the smartphone market, particularly from Samsung and Chinese manufacturers such as Xiaomi, Huawei, OPPO and Vivo. The foldable iPhone is seen as Apple's attempt to catch up with rivals who have already released multiple generations of foldable phones. Industry analyst Brian Ma of IDC noted that while Samsung is a key competitor, Apple's focus may also be on the Chinese domestic market, where foldables are highly popular. Separately, Apple is exploring the use of Chinese memory chip suppliers to secure critical components amid a global memory shortage that is driving up costs across the industry. However, analysts suggest that any chips sourced from China would likely be used for products sold within China due to geopolitical and legal complications. The memory shortage and the inclusion of expensive components such as folding screens and the new Siri AI platform are expected to push up prices. Apple has already raised prices on Macs and iPads, and phones are expected to follow. Despite this, Apple's customer base tends to be more premium and resilient, so the company may still see strong revenue. The new models are expected to be announced at Apple's usual September launch event, with devices reaching stores by late September or early October.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One |
|---|---|
| Apple is exploring Chinese memory chip suppliers to secure components. | |
| Apple is planning at least five new iPhone models including a foldable device. | |
| The global memory shortage is driving up costs across the smartphone industry. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The BBC focused on the competitive landscape, particularly Apple's rivalry with Samsung and Chinese brands in the foldable market. It also highlighted the geopolitical angle of Apple sourcing memory chips from China and the impact of the global memory shortage on pricing. The tone was analytical, with expert commentary from an IDC analyst.
- “I think from a personal perspective of course it's quite exciting to see them going for a larger screen size. I think their arch rival Samsung has obviously been getting a lot of attention for their foldables, they're already on like seven, eight, however many generations of foldables they've already been on so this is kind of Apple's comeback.”
- “I think we need to keep our eyes on China itself where really they're going after the likes of Huawei and some of these others.”
- “The good thing is Apple buyers tend to skew more premium, they tend to be a little more resilient. So I think it's actually, we're gonna see Apple from a revenue perspective doing quite well, even if there's some elasticity limits to how much their unit shipments may be.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.