Apple’s worst-kept secret may not be a secret for much longer. For months, rumours have flown around that the Fruit Company had a foldable iPhone in its arsenal, meant to firmly plant Apple amid the competition. Some sources have claimed a possible September unveiling, with a launch later in the year — possibly even December. Now, however, it seems Apple is working overtime to get the so-called iPhone Fold out on time.
A new iPhone enters the fold
On time, in this case, means alongside the iPhone 18 line-up. Not only would the new phone be unveiled next to its iPhone brethren, but it would also be sold alongside them. That’s according to a notable tipster, Instant Digital on Weibo, who claims that trial production for the device has begun at Foxconn in China.
If true, it means the iPhone Fold is real, after eight-or-so years of Apple trying to get it right. Assuming no major mishaps befall the device, that should put the foldable on track to kick off mass production sometime in July — right along with the regular iPhone 18 range. That could mean we’ll see these crop up as soon as September.
Barring any production delays, it shouldn’t be long before Apple’s iPhone Fold (or whatever it ends up being called) is out in the wild. Against Apple’s wishes, of course. We doubt we’ll ever see a leak quite as thorough as Gizmodo’s iPhone 4 debacle, but we’ll see something. And.. right on cue, we got a look at the first metal dummy versions of the device, sitting next to the iPhone 18 Pro, courtesy of Sonny Dickson on Twitter.
Exclusive First Dummies of what the final size of the iPhone Fold, iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will look like. pic.twitter.com/X9P9uBK12p
— Sonny Dickson (@SonnyDickson) April 7, 2026
More important for some is the first look at the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max counterparts. Apple is foregoing any sort of makeover for the Pro this year, likely excused by the arrival of the iPhone Fold. As ever, we can expect the usual upgrades to the device’s chipset, and possibly a 200MP shooter on the rear.
