Apple is expected to use a foldable screen that is fully designed and produced by Samsung Display.
Samsung's foldable phones are also said to use components from Fine M-Tec
Apple's first foldable phone is expected to launch in the second half of 2026, and details of the handset's display and its suppliers have been leaked. According to details shared by TF Securities International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the purported iPhone Fold will feature a folding screen that is designed by Samsung Display. It is said to be equipped with display metal plates (or internal hinges) developed by another South Korean firm that currently supplies internal hinges for Samsung's own foldable phones.
Kuo claims his latest industry survey has revealed that Apple will use a crease-free foldable screen designed by Samsung Display, instead of using its own design. While The iPhone maker usually prefers to utilise its own designs for components, the analyst claims that the decision to use Samsung's solution was taken to "ensure stable mass production" of the handset.
Samsung's own foldable phones, including the recently launched Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7, are equipped with internal hinges supplied by Fine M-Tec, a contract manufacturer based in South Korea. Apple has reportedly tapped the same firm to supply 80 percent of the internal hinges required to produce its first foldable smartphone.
Fine M-Tec and Samsung Display have designed a foldable display solution that involves the use of microstructures created using lasers, according to the analyst. Production of these internal hinges is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2026, and Fine M-Tec will reportedly increase production capacity at its facility in Vietnam.
Kuo also predicts that Fine M-Tec will produce between 13 and 15 million internal hinges for the foldable iPhone in 2026, but this isn't an indicator of how many phones Apple is expected to ship next year. Many of these hinges will be used by the iPhone maker's service centres and repair partners, and the number is also expected to include yield losses.
This isn't the first time that details of the foldable iPhone (or iPhone Fold) have surfaced online. Earlier this year, a report indicated that Apple would exclusively rely on Samsung Display to produce OLED panels on the Cupertino company's first foldable iPhone. Apple's other suppliers, BOE (Jingdongfang) and LG, have reportedly been unable to deliver a crease-free display like Samsung, leading to Apple choosing Samsung as the sole supplier for these panels.
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