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Apple’s Foldable iPhone Reportedly Facing Hinge Reliability Problems in Testing

Apple’s Foldable iPhone Reportedly Facing Hinge Reliability Problems in Testing

The alleged hinge issues could delay the launch of Apple’s first foldable iPhone.

Written by Nithya P Nair, Edited by Ketan Pratap | Updated: 18 May 2026 12:24 IST

Apple’s Foldable iPhone Reportedly Facing Hinge Reliability Problems in Testing

Photo Credit: Oppo

iPhone Fold is likely to rival Oppo Find N series and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold series

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Highlights

iPhone Ultra leak suggests that Apple is struggling with hinge durability
The hinge of the foldable iPhone allegedly shows durability issues
Recent leaks have suggested a September launch window for iPhone Fold

Apple's long-awaited foldable iPhone appears to be inching closer to launch. Several sources suggest that Apple's first foldable phone, referred to as the iPhone Ultra or iPhone Fold, could debut as early as September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro lineup. Now, a new leak from China hints that Apple is facing issues with the handset's hinge and folding mechanism during the trial stage. The handset is reportedly making rattling sounds after being folded and unfolded multiple times. The iPhone Fold is likely to rival Oppo Find N and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold series.

Apple's First Foldable iPhone Reportedly Faces Major Setback

Tipster Momentary Digital (translated from Chinese) on Weibo claimed that the iPhone Fold's foldable screen has encountered setbacks in its recent trial production phase. While Apple has achieved a crease-free display in the foldable, the hinge mechanism is reportedly causing trouble.

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The hinge of the foldable iPhone allegedly shows durability issues after repeated folding and unfolding. It is said to make "rattling noises" when folded and unfolded a few times. It is reportedly failing to meet Apple's strict quality control requirements. Further, the tipster suggested that unless Apple finds a permanent fix for this issue, the progress of the iPhone Fold will be "indefinitely delayed".

Apple Watch Series 12 Could Offer Only These Upgrades

Recent leaks have suggested a September launch window for the iPhone Fold alongside the iPhone 18 Pro lineup. But the latest claims indicate that Apple may have to reconsider those plans.

We have been seeing rumours about the foldable iPhone for years. It is said to have a more repairable design than its competitors, including Galaxy Z Fold 7, Pixel 10 Pro Fold and Oppo Find N6. It is speculated to come with a 7.8-inch inner foldable display and a smaller 5.3-inch cover screen. It could run on Apple's A20 Pro processor, which is rumoured to be built on a 2nm fabrication process. Apple could use the same chipset in the iPhone 18 Pro series. It is tipped to pack 12GB of LPDDR5x RAM.

The foldable iPhone is said to feature a selfie camera on the outer display and another embedded within the foldable inner screen. It could come with a dual 48-megapixel rear camera setup and include an Apple C2 modem. Apple is expected to use a titanium-and-aluminium chassis for the iPhone Fold. It is said to feature Touch ID for biometric authentication.

OPPO Find N6

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Excellent design and built quality
Hinge feels solid
Bright LTPO OLED display
Decent battery life
Dependable cameras
Good battery life
Flagship-grade performance

Bad
Oppo AI Pen not included
Limited availability
Speaker quality could be better

Read detailed OPPO Find N6 review

Display (Primary) 8.12-inch

Cover Display 6.62-inch

Cover Resolution 1140x2616 pixels

Processor Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5

Front Camera 20-megapixel + 20-megapixel

Rear Camera 200-megapixel + 50-megapixel + 50-megapixel

RAM 12GB

Storage 256GB

Battery Capacity 6000mAh

OS Android 16

Resolution 2480x2248 pixels

More OPPO mobiles OPPO mobiles price in India

Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Polished IP68-rated design
Pixel Snap is useful
Bright 120Hz displays
Smooth bloatware-free software
Tons of useful AI features
7 years of software and security updates
Secure face unlock

Bad
A bit heavy even for a foldable
Average cameras with poor video quality
Only 256GB storage variant
Relatively slow charging

Read detailed Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold review

Display (Primary) 8.00-inch

Cover Display 6.40-inch

Cover Resolution 1080x2364 pixels

Processor Tensor G5

Front Camera 10-megapixel + 10-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 10.5-megapixel + 10.8-megapixel

RAM 16GB

Storage 256GB

Battery Capacity 5015mAh

OS Android 16

Resolution 2152x2076 pixels

More Google mobiles Google mobiles price in India

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Lightweight design and super thin profile
Fantastic displays
Top-notch performance
Excellent primary camera
Launches with One UI 8 based on Android 16 out of the box (and gets extended software support)

Bad
Charging speed capped at 25W
Battery life could have been better
No S Pen support
Expensive

Read detailed Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 review

Display (Primary) 8.00-inch

Cover Display 6.50-inch

Cover Resolution 2520x1080 pixels

Front Camera 10-megapixel + 10-megapixel

Rear Camera 200-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 10-megapixel

RAM 12GB

Storage 256GB, 512GB

Battery Capacity 4400mAh

OS Android 16

Resolution 1968x2184 pixels

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Further reading: iPhone Fold, Foldable iPhone, iPhone Ultra, Apple, iPhone 18 Pro

Nithya P Nair

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Nithya P Nair is a journalist with more than five years of experience in digital journalism. She specialises in business and technology beats. A foodie at heart, Nithya loves exploring new places (read cuisines) and sneaking in Malayalam movie dialogues to spice up conversations. More