Apple's Foldable Gamble: A $24 Million Pixel Bet?
Apple's playing catch-up in the foldable phone game, but a new leak suggests they're not just bending to market pressure, they're trying to leapfrog the competition with camera tech. The rumored foldable iPhone, potentially hitting shelves in late 2026 or even 2027, might sport a 24-megapixel under-display camera. That's the headline from a JP Morgan equity research report, as reported by MacRumors.
Now, under-display cameras haven't exactly set the world on fire. Samsung and ZTE have dabbled, but the image quality has been…let's say "compromised." Think blurry, washed-out selfies. The problem? Getting enough light through the display layers to hit the sensor. Apple's bet, according to this report, is a bigger sensor and better light transmittance. A 24MP sensor with six plastic lens elements is the claim, a significant jump from the measly 4MP and 8MP sensors currently in use.
The million-dollar question (or, more accurately, the potentially $15 million-per-episode question, given Apple's willingness to throw money at content) is whether Apple can actually deliver. The report suggests "a breakthrough in improving light transmittance and image quality." If true, this could be a game-changer, making under-screen cameras actually viable.
The Camera Trade-Offs
Here's where things get interesting. To keep the foldable slim, Apple might ditch LiDAR scanning and optical image stabilization (OIS). That's a trade-off that could irk photography enthusiasts. Are thinner phones really worth sacrificing the high-end camera features?
Ming-Chi Kuo, the ubiquitous Apple analyst, predicts a total of four cameras: dual 48MP rear lenses, a front-facing camera for when the phone is folded, and the 24MP under-display camera. Digital Chat Station, a Weibo tipster, backs up the 48MP rear lens rumor and adds that Apple's focusing on consistent image quality across both folded and unfolded modes. This emphasis on consistency is crucial. No one wants a foldable phone that takes great pictures when open but mediocre ones when closed (or vice versa).
And this is the part of the report that I find genuinely puzzling. If Apple is truly prioritizing image quality and consistency, why even bother with an under-display camera at all? It's a technological flex, sure, but is it worth the potential compromise in image quality? A standard punch-hole camera, like the one reportedly on the outer screen, is a known quantity.
The Timeline and the Competition
Mark Gurman at Bloomberg is pointing towards a fall 2026 launch for the foldable iPhone. Mizuho Securities in Japan is less optimistic, suggesting a possible delay to 2027. Apple's notoriously cautious when entering new product categories. They prefer to arrive late and perfect, rather than early and buggy. Given the inherent complexities of foldable technology – the hinge design, the screen durability – that patience makes sense.
The other news from Apple is Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad) is putting out a new show on Apple TV. It is called Pluribus and stars Rhea Seehorn. The budget for the show is reportedly $15 million per episode. The new sci-fi series from the creator of Breaking Bad premieres today on Apple TV
Ultimately, the foldable iPhone's success hinges on whether Apple can deliver on its promise of a truly usable under-display camera. If they can crack the light transmittance issue and produce images that are on par with traditional front-facing cameras, they could redefine what a "front camera" even means. But if the under-display camera is just a gimmick, a way to differentiate themselves without actually improving the user experience, then Apple's foldable gamble might not pay off.
Apple's Camera: More Hype Than Help?
Apple's betting big on this under-display camera, but I'm not convinced it's anything more than a flashy distraction. The history of the company is more about user experience than cutting edge tech. Unless they can prove this new tech actually delivers better images than a standard camera, it's just another way to goose the stock price.
