Apple's Foldable Phone Surge: Analyst Predicts 14 Million Units Sold by 2027
Apple is expected to enter the foldable phone market, which could lead to a significant surge in its shares, according to Rothschild & Co. analyst Timm Schulze-Melander.
Schulze-Melander believes that Apple's product roadmap and potential entry into the ultra-premium foldable handset sector are undervalued by the market.
The analyst upgraded Apple to 'Buy' from 'Neutral' and raised his price target to $400 from $260, indicating significant upside for the iPhone maker.
Schulze-Melander predicts that Apple's venture into foldable handsets could increase iPhone average selling prices (ASPs) by 11% by June 2027 and anticipates sales of 14 million iPhone Ultra foldable handset units in FY27, with a minimal impact of 2% from cannibalisation of sales from traditional iPhones.
However, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested that Apple's foldable iPhone might arrive later than the rest of the iPhone 18 lineup due to supply constraints. Apple could unveil the foldable iPhone alongside the iPhone 18 lineup but delay preorders and retail availability by several weeks, similar to its 2017 iPhone X launch strategy.