Apple has long been rumoured to be developing a foldable iPhone, with talk of the device stretching back beyond 2021. It may be that we’ll finally see the hardware in 2026, according to a new report citing supply chain sources.
Digitimes says Apple started initial prototyping for the device in June this year, adding that this is the “initial P1 (Prototype 1) phase.” The aim, according to the report, is a 2026 release, which aligns with talk from other sectors that project a 2026 or 2027 launch for the foldable.
Bendgate II: iPhone Boogaloo
Rumour ranges back and forth on what the company is considering, from e-ink displays to a MacBook that borrows the smartphone concept for a similarly styled laptop. The expected design is up in the air, with more recent reports claiming that Apple has settled on one of two designs. That would be where Prototype 1 fabrication comes in. We might well see something more concrete from the notoriously leaky Asian supply chain in the coming weeks.
Everything else is a guess at this point, but Apple isn’t likely to skimp on its hardware. Expect the same construction materials found in the iPhone Pro and Max series handsets, with titanium being a feature alongside the most powerful processor the chassis can handle.
The display is the trickiest to divine, since it’ll be something entirely new from Apple. If it can get away with the descriptor ‘Flexible Liquid Retina Display’, it probably will. Much earlier reports have claimed that everyone from LG to Samsung would build panels for the phone, but its recent trend of moving away from external production means a folding iPhone screen could come from an unexpected source.
The launch of a foldable iPhone could alter Apple’s well-established patterns. Previous information suggests that its presence will see the company split its phone launches, with headline products taking the annual September slot and the ‘basic’ versions arriving early the following year. As with anything Apple, though, don’t trust anything you’re told (no, not even us) until the company announces it. They’re sneaky like that.
