Apple is one of the few major mobile phone manufacturers that does not yet have its own foldable device. However, rumors are increasingly circulating that the company is working on it. According to the latest information, the release of a foldable iPhone is planned for 2026. And since Apple cannot produce flexible displays, it will probably order them from Samsung.
Apple is one of the few major mobile phone manufacturers that does not yet have its own foldable device. However, rumors are increasingly circulating that the company is working on it. According to the latest information, the release of a foldable iPhone is planned for 2026. And since Apple cannot produce flexible displays, it will probably order them from Samsung.
While Apple and Samsung are big competitors, Samsung is also one of the most important display manufacturers in the world. So it's no surprise that Apple has chosen Samsung Display for its upcoming devices.
According to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Samsung Display plans to produce up to 8 million foldable panels for Apple's new device in 2026.
“Recent market rumors suggest that Apple has placed an order for 15-20 million foldable iPhones. Based on various component checks, this volume likely reflects the aggregate demand over the 2-3 year product lifecycle, not just 2026. This indicates that Apple’s foldable iPhone, which is expected to enter mass production in 2H26, could sell several million units annually in 2027 and 2028, possibly due to its premium price,” Ming-Chi Kuo wrote in X.
However, Kuo notes that Apple's plans for a foldable iPhone are not yet determined and could change.
You may remember that the first foldable phones had a visible notch on the display when opened. It probably couldn't have been otherwise, because the display is not fully flexible. But, according to sources, Apple wants to make the iPhone display completely notchless. And it also requires it to be 19% thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold model.
The panel, which will be supplied by Samsung Display, is expected to measure 7.8 inches (19.8 cm) when fully unfolded and about 5.5 inches (13.9 cm) when folded, resembling a book shape similar to the Galaxy Fold.
Several of Apple's competitors, including Huawei and Samsung, have been releasing foldable smartphones since 2019, but they don't have significant demand.
Research firm TrendForce reported last year that only 1.5% of all smartphones sold are foldable. Counterpoint, another research firm that tracks smartphone sales, said the foldable phone market grew by only about 3% in 2024 and is expected to decline in 2025, CNBC reported .
But that's in the spirit of Apple: wait, watch, and then try to completely rethink the device and create something different.
