At this point, rumors about Apple entering the foldable smartphone have been around for the past seven years. First, it was supposed to launch in 2020, which then got pushed back to 2025 and if a leaked Apple product roadmap is accurate, its tentative launch window is 2026. A report from AlphaBiz (via Macrumors) now says it could get delayed yet again to Q1, 2027.
DigiTimes says Apple has reallocated members of the Apple Vision Pro team to focus on foldables. While we will technically see a foldable Apple product in 2025, it won’t be an iPhone but an iPad. If a foldable iPhone ever sees the light of day, it’ll be a Galaxy Z Flip5-esque clamshell device. An enterprising Bilibili user even concocted such a device by stringing together parts from various phones.
Apple is reportedly facing difficulties sourcing parts for its foldable iPhone and is in talks with both Samsung Display and LG Display. BOE is missing from the list despite the company’s success with foldable displays on phones like the Vivo X Flip. Then again, displays could be hard to come by given the sheer number of foldables coming out from Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus, Huawei and even budget-focused brands like Infinix.
I’ve been an avid PC gamer since the age of 8. My passion for gaming eventually pushed me towards general tech, and I got my first writing gig at the age of 19. I have a degree in mechanical engineering and have worked in the manufacturing industry and a few other publications like Wccftech before joining Notebookcheck in November 2019. I cover a variety of topics including smartphones, gaming, and computer hardware.