Leaks point to Apple being close to finalising the design of its first foldable iPhone
According to credible leaks, Apple is close to finalising the design of its first foldable iPhone – a book-style device with a hinge down the left side – that opens up to a screen with no crease down the centre.
Recent leaks point to Apple being close to finalising the design of its first foldable iPhone.
According to WCCF TECH, Apple intends to ship around 10 million foldable iPhones in the autumn of 2026 – doubling that amount to around 20 million units in 2027.
The design will be similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold, in that it will be a book-style smartphone with the hinge down the left-hand side.
When closed it will look very similar to current iPhones with a 6.1-inch outer screen. On opening, it will reveal a larger, almost square screen, about the same width as an iPad mini.
It’s understood that one of the main reasons for Apple’s delayed entry into the foldable market has been its insistence on developing a hinge that allows the inner screen to show no fold mark down the centre – something other manufacturers have been unable to do so far.
According to a patent, the hinge has been developed in-house by Apple, featuring a highly complex array of gears and pins and is credited to 10 inventors, including Bradley Hamel, who has previously worked on friction hinges.
The device will initially be built by Foxconn, utilising an OLED display developed by Samsung and integrating ultra-thin glass (UTG) technology from China’s Lens Technology.
There are no details on price, but expect it to be high, somewhere in the region of $2,000.
A foldable iPad and a Macbook with a folding screen are also said to be in the works.
