We’ve been reporting on the rumored “coming quickly” launch of a foldable iPhone for years. There have been sturdy and dependable rumors of a foldable iPhone being simply two years away courting way back to 2018, not less than. Again then, dependable reviews from the likes of CNBC stated Apple was going to have a folding iPhone available on the market in 2020.
That turned 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025… and now it’s scheduled to land in 2026 on the earliest.
So, whereas the rumors and reviews from components suppliers and analysts are heating up and appear to be extra strong than ever, we might advise much more warning and skepticism than normal with Apple rumors. Having stated that, right here’s what the present rumors recommend concerning the launch of a folding iPhone.
Replace July 21, 2025: A report states that iOS 27 growth will concentrate on options for the folding iPhone.
Folding iPhone: Launch date
In accordance with a collection of reviews, the foremost design and specs of Apple’s first folding telephone are as a consequence of be finalized in the midst of 2025, with manufacturing focused for late 2026. That might imply a launch late in 2026 or early 2027. Thus far, this timeline has been urged by a number of sources in 2024 and 2025, together with The Info, The Wall Avenue Journal, and analysts Ming-Chi Kuo and Mark Gurman.
The telephone is anticipated to be complicated and costly to fabricate, so manufacturing quantity will seemingly be very restricted at first. A second mannequin in late 2027 ought to see larger manufacturing numbers.
Gurman reported in July 2025 that Apple will concentrate on options for the folding iPhone in iOS 27, which might be launched within the fall of 2026.
Folding iPhone: Design
In 2024, The Info reported that Apple had made a few prototype “clamshell” flip-phone designs, the place the highest and backside of the telephone fold to fulfill. More moderen rumors in 2025 from Digital Chat Station on Weibo and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recommend a “e-book” model fold, with a vertical fold because the left and proper sides fold to fulfill one another. It is a comparable model to the Google Pixel 9 Professional Fold and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold.
The folding iPhone may very well be an analogous measurement to the Pixel 9 Professional Fold.
Luke Baker
The hinge is anticipated to be certainly one of its most unusual options. Some reviews have urged it is going to be manufactured from a titanium alloy, whereas Kup reported in March 2025 that Apple is exploring using LiquidMetal for “sturdiness, enhancing display screen flatness, and minimizing crease marks” within the display screen. Apple has acquired a number of patents for hinge designs, and it’s unclear which the corporate will use within the closing design.
On July 14, analyst Ming-Chi Ku reported that Apple found out tips on how to do away with the fold crease by utilizing metallic plates to assist “distribute and management bending stress,” in response to Kuo, which might assist reduce creasing.
Folding iPhone: Dimension and dimensions
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has reported on the folding iPhone’s set of proposed design particulars. He says the book-style iPhone may have a 7.8-inch inside show when unfolded, and a 5.5-inch outer show. Kuo says Apple gained’t be happy till the telephone’s show is totally crease-free when opened.
The folding telephone is alleged to be at most 9.5mm thick when folded and 4.5mm when unfolded. For comparability, an iPhone 16 Professional Max is 8.5mm thick, and the thinnest iPhone of all time was the iPhone 6 at 6.9mm. The upcoming iPhone 17 Air is anticipated to be round 6mm thick and presumably as skinny as 5.5mm.
Folding iPhone: Specs and options
We don’t know what processor the folding iPhone will include, but when it launches in 2026 as rumored, it is going to in all probability characteristic an A20 or A20 Professional—some variant of the processor discovered within the iPhone 18.
We anticipate most iPhones to make use of Apple’s personal mobile modem and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth chips by that point as nicely. They might even be built-in into the principle system-on-chip.
The folding iPhone will reportedly have a Contact ID-enabled energy button reasonably than Face ID.
IDG
Because of the very skinny nature of the foldable iPhone, and the necessity for various front-facing cameras when folded up or unfolded, it is going to reportedly lack Face ID. As a substitute, Contact ID might be included into the facet button a lot as it’s on the iPad Air and mini.
There’ll reportedly be two rear cameras (seemingly a regular broad and ultrawide) and two front-facing cameras, one for when the iPhone is folded closed and one for when it’s open.
Bloomber’s Mark urman reported in July 2025 that Apple will concentrate on options for the folding iPhone in iOS 27, which might be launched within the fall of 2026.
Folding iPhone: Value
Anticipate the folding iPhone to be a really high-end, ultra-premium mannequin. The very first launch is stated to value $2,000 or extra and will begin at $2,299, twice the highest-end iPhone Professional Max..
