(Yicai) July 8 -- Apple’s first foldable iPhone is likely to go on sale in October or November, a senior analyst at Chinese market research firm Sigmaintell’s mobile division told Yicai yesterday as speculation mounts over the US tech giant's first foldable device.

While the launch timeline remains unchanged, the initial sales rollout may be delayed, with pre-order volumes expected to be limited, Wang Xiaoya said.

"The main reasons behind the potential delay are the technical challenges involved in manufacturing the foldable cover glass and hinge, the complexity of assembly and relatively low production yields," Wang said.

Thanks to Apple’s new product, global foldable smartphone sales are expected to surge 25 percent this year from last year to 24 million units, said Beijing-based Sigmaintell. And the Cupertino-headquartered company's foldable iPhone is likely to account for between seven million and eight million units of this.

The upstream display industry is also expected to benefit. Samsung Display supplies foldable display panels to both Apple and South Korea’s Samsung, Wang said. The Gyeonggi-based firm’s foldable panel shipments are expected to significantly exceed those of other display manufacturers this year.

Chinese flexible organic light emitting diode panel manufacturers BOE Technology, Visionox and TCL China Star Optoelectronics Technology also have mature technical capabilities in foldable OLED displays, Wang added.

"Foldable smartphones have made significant progress in display quality, durability, thickness and weight," Wang said. "However, consumer adoption is still improving more slowly than the pace of technological advancement."

The industry should continue to expand real-world use cases, strengthen the software ecosystem and reduce pricing in order to enhance the practical value of foldable smartphones and accelerate market growth, Wang added.

Editor: Kim Taylor