Rumours that Apple is working on its own foldable iPhone have been circulating for years – roughly since similar gadgets started appearing in competitors’ ranges. And it looks like the project is finally moving into a more active phase. According to Digitimes reports, the company may have already settled on a final design, and the pace of development has picked up noticeably.
If we take into account the typical two-year product development cycle at Apple, we should expect the launch of the first foldable iPhone no earlier than 2026. However, it is important to note that Digitimes’ sources did not provide direct confirmation – some conclusions are based on analytics, which reduces their credibility.
Nevertheless, another authoritative publication The Information partially confirms Digitimes’ data. According to his information, the device is codenamed v68, and will also be implemented in the form factor “clamshell” – that is, the smartphone will fold vertically, like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip. It will be a regular-sized iPhone that folds in half, rather than unfolding into a tablet format like the Fold.
There are no details yet on whether the foldable iPhone will have an external screen. However, Apple is rumoured to be experimenting with an ultra-thin design, which makes sense – a device folded in half will be twice as thick, so each part should be as thin as possible.
The enthusiasm around the gadget is fuelled by the fact that Apple could have introduced something similar a long time ago – presumably the company was just waiting for the technology to reach the right level of maturity.
Apple, as always, can bet not only on the technical specifications, but also on the user experience. It is expected that the company will scrutinise the build mechanism, reduce the thickness of the body and ensure that the interface works smoothly in various modes of use. One of the important areas will also be durability – right now, most foldable screens suffer from wear and tear issues. In this context, it is worth mentioning Apple’s patent for the “self-healing” surface of the flexible display, received in 2024.
iPhone Fold-preliminary specs (rumoured):
Main display:
- Diagonal: 7.76 inches
- Resolution: 2,713 × 1,920 pixels
- Feature: no visible crease (Apple’s own design)
- Camera under the display (similar to Galaxy Z Fold)
External display:
- Diagonal: 5.49 in.
- Resolution: 2088 × 1422 pixels
- Cutout for selfie camera
Additional details:
- Display supplier-Samsung
- Possible ditching of Face ID in favour of Touch ID in the power button (according to Ming-Chi Kuo).
Expected price
Analysts, including Ming-Chi Kuo and Tim Long, are predicting a price between $2,000 and $2,500, depending on storage capacity.
Will the iPhone Fold become a new breakthrough? We’ll see. But if all goes according to plan, 2026 could be a landmark year for Apple in the foldable smartphone segment.