Apple Is Making A Folding iPhone That Could Launch In 2026

Apple is working on a foldable iPhone that could arrive in stores as early as 2026, according to a report from The Information. The rumored device is said to sport a clamshell-style design that folds horizontally, much like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. 

Apple’s Galaxy Z Flip-Like Foldable iPhone Could Be Coming In 2026

Back in February, reports emerged that Apple was in the early stages of developing prototypes for the first-ever folding iPhone, codenamed V68. Now it seems like the company may have settled on a design and has moved from the conceptual phase to the development stage. 

Apple is in contact with its suppliers in Asia to produce parts for the folding iPhone and is figuring out a way to make the crease that runs through the middle of the inner display invisible, according to two sources familiar with the matter.  

This report corroborates with reports from Korean media outlets Hankooki and ET News referencing Apple insiders who indicated that the company has been conducting R&D on a top-down folding smartphone that is expected to have similar dimensions as existing iPhones. 

Apple has been busy securing patents related to foldable products, and rumor has it that the company formally began a supply contract with Samsung Display (SDC) for display panels earlier this year. Given Apple’s two-year development cycle for new products, the foldable iPhone could make its debut in 2026. 

Apple Is Working On A Foldable iPhone, iPad, and MacBook

There are other rumors that Apple is working on a series of foldable devices, which includes the iPhone, MacBook, and iPad. However, it seems like the iPhone may get the top priority and will be released ahead of others. 

Initially, it was speculated that Apple would launch a foldable iPad to garner market attention and accumulate sales experience before introducing the technology to its flagship product, the iPhone. However, due to the recent challenges encountered in the Chinese smartphone market, the company has shifted its plans to focus purely on the clamshell iPhone, which will be its first foldable device. 

China is Apple’s biggest market for iPhones outside of the US and has been a source of special attention in the company’s quarterly earnings. However, the Silicon Valley giant is struggling to get a grip on a market where foldable smartphones are now commonplace. So it makes sense that the company wants to push forward its plans for a foldable iPhone. 

The foldable smartphone market has been dominated by Samsung. The Korean giant launched its first foldable, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold in 2019. Since then the company has expanded its Z series to include another model called the Z Flip. 

Earlier this month, Samsung announced the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 at the Galaxy Unpacked event in Paris. 

Other companies have also jumped on the foldable smartphone bandwagon, with Google introducing the Pixel Fold, OnePlus with its Open, and the Motorola Razor – which is a reimagining of its popular flip phone from the early 2000s. 

As popular as foldable have been in the Asian market, smartphones haven’t caught up in a big way in the US. This is likely because they tend to be quite expensive, plus the iPhone makes up a large chunk of the American smartphone market. While it is tempting to try out Samsung’s Z series or the Google Pixel Fold, they are not attractive enough for Apple customers who are deeply instilled in the ecosystem. 

Apple’s flip phone-style iPhone could be more expensive than the typical iPhone, but less expensive than other foldables due to the smaller form factor. 

iPhone 17 Rumored To Be Thinner And May Include A New “Ultra” Model

Apart from the foldable, Apple is also working on bringing major upgrades in the design and camera department to next year’s iPhone 17 lineup. 

Reports suggest that the iPhone 17 will be much thinner and get a mechanical aperture that lets users achieve a depth-of-field effect in pictures that will fully blur the background while keeping the subject in focus. Apple will also announce a new “Ultra” model for the iPhone 17 series. 

Meanwhile, Apple is gearing up for the September release of the iPhone 16 series, which includes the standard iPhone 16 and 16 Plus and the higher-end iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max. 

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