The first iPhone with a folding screen will go into production in 2026, according to an analyst. This is the second such report in recent months, and could be a sign that Apple is really ready to move ahead with the product.
A MacBook with a 20-inch folding screen reportedly will launch the year before.
Folding iPhone could be just 2 years away
Foldable Android phones have been on the market for years but Apple has resisted making its own version — likely because of the obvious drawbacks of current models. But its engineers may have found fixes for the problems.
Apple will start production on a folding iPhone near the end of 2026, according to Jeff Pu from Haitong International Securities, reports 9to5Mac.
Those who resist the idea of foldable handsets usually question how such devices could be better than current ones. The device Apple has on the drawing board reportedly will come with a display significantly larger than any previous iOS model: between 7.9 inches and 8.3 inches. That’s impractical for a non-folding handset screen.
Pu isn’t the first with this speculation. A rival analyst said earlier this year that Apple decided 2026 is the right year to launch a folding iPhone.
It supposedly will not take the place of current models in Apple’s product lineup. There’ll be something like an “iPhone Fold,” in addition to an iPhone Pro and Pro Max. The foldable will be for the “ultra-high-end market” willing to pay even higher costs for a cutting-edge product.
Apple is aware of your concerns
It’s not hard to find critics of current foldable devices. The products are thick, expensive and the flexible screens develop creases over time.
“Foldables were a hard sell in 2023, as many vendors struggled to move significant inventory,” said Anthony Scarsella, an IDC analyst. “The market has not fully embraced the form factor. High prices and longevity remain a challenge to both consumers and vendors.”
These problems did not escape Apple’s attention. Details of folding iPhone prototypes that leaked out in early 2024 show the company striving to make a device as slim as current iOS handsets. And it wants a foldable screen without a visible crease.
Despite the 2026 prediction, there’ll be no folding iPhone until it meets the company’s design goals, according to information leaking out of Apple.
