Apple Could Release a Foldable iPhone in 2026, Will Reportedly Be Thinner, Lighter Than Competitors

Apple is said to be working on a host of foldable devices, with a clamshell foldable phone and a foldable tablet rumoured to be in the works. Earlier this week, a prominent Apple analyst claimed that a foldable MacBook would in fact be Apple's first product in the category, going into mass production in 2027. Now, a tipster has said that the company plans to release a foldable iPhone in 2026.

According to Revegnus (@Tech_Reve), a folding iPhone would be Apple's first foldable, with the company eyeing a release window of 2026. The new information contradicts reports from last month that claimed the company had halted development on a foldable phone over display issues.

The tipster, citing a report from Korean outlet AlphaBiz, said that Apple's foldable phone would release in 2026. The report allegedly quotes a senior Apple official, shedding light on the iPhone maker's plans for a folding phone. "Apple has decided to release the foldable iPhone in 2026, which is later than expected," the official was quoted saying (translated from Korean). "As it is a later release than its competitors, we know that cutting-edge technologies will be concentrated."

According to the report, the Apple official said that the foldable iPhone would be thinner and lighter than the competition, with a focus on preventing crease marks on the folding screen. “"In particular, the goal is to avoid the wrinkles that competitors are struggling with,” the official was quoted as saying.

While Apple has lagged behind in the foldables segment, rivals Samsung and Google already have foldable phones in the market. Samsung has released five generations of both clamshell and book-style foldable phones, while Google launched the Pixel Fold last year.  

The latest update contradicts reports from earlier this week that said that Apple's first foldable would be 20.3-inch foldable MacBook, which would likely enter mass production in 2027. TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that a MacBook was Apple's only foldable product with a clear development schedule at the moment. “My latest survey indicates that currently, Apple's only foldable product with a clear development schedule is the 20.3-inch MacBook, expected to enter mass production in 2027,” Kuo said this week in a post on X.

While Apple has been rumoured to be working on an unspecified large-screen foldable, alongside folding iPhone and iPad models, a report last month had said that Apple had paused development on a foldable phone over issues with the folding display.