Production on the iPhone Fold is behind schedule, but the device is still slated to launch in fall 2026, reports DigiTimes. The site says that production has been pushed back by "roughly one to two months," but Apple has not communicated any launch delays to suppliers. Apple is still planning for a 2026 launch, which suggests a tighter production schedule.


Apple planned to begin ‌iPhone Fold‌ mass production in June 2026, but mass production has now slipped to early August. Some rumors have suggested that Apple is having more manufacturing problems than expected with the Engineering Validation Test phase that the ‌iPhone Fold‌ is in right now, but other rumors suggest that won't lead to delays.

Last week, Japanese site Nikkei said that the engineering delays could cause Apple to delay the launch of the ‌iPhone Fold‌ until 2027, but Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the ‌iPhone Fold‌ remains on track to launch "around the same time" or "soon after" the iPhone 18 Pro models in September 2026.

DigiTimes' report reconciles the two separate launch timing rumors, indicating that there is indeed a delay in the test phase, but Apple may be able to make up ground during the mass production phase. Prior to mass production, the ‌iPhone Fold‌ will still need to go through Design Validation Testing and Production Validation Testing.

A delay in the mass production timeline could cause serious supply chain shortages, and ‌iPhone Fold‌ availability is likely to be constrained. When we hear rumors about launch issues this early in an iPhone cycle, it typically leads to severe launch shortages and a device that sells out in minutes during pre-orders.

The ‌iPhone Fold‌ is expected to cost between $2,000 and $2,500. It will be Apple's first foldable device, with a 5.5-inch display when closed and a 7.8-inch display when open. More about the device can be found in our iPhone Fold roundup.
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Advances in optically clear adhesive (OCA) will be a key factor in achieving a near-invisible crease in Apple's first foldable iPhone expected later this year, according to TrendForce.


The supply chain intelligence firm outlined the key technologies in a new report on foldable display innovation, explaining that creases form when layers within the display panel fall out of alignment, concentrating stress at the fold and causing micro-cracks or permanent deformation over time.

Ultra-thin glass (UTG) also plays a role in the optimal design. Apple's patents have described a design where the glass is thinner at the fold for flexibility and thicker elsewhere for durability, which is an approach consistent with reports last year that Apple was testing uneven-thickness panels, and more recently that it may use a dual-layer glass structure to spread stress across multiple layers.

The single most important factor, TrendForce says, is OCA. Modern formulations go well beyond simple bonding, staying pliable during gradual bending to reduce fatigue while temporarily stiffening under sudden impact to provide structural support. Over time, the adhesive's ability to flow into microscopic irregularities also reduces light scattering and keeps the crease less visible.

Hinge and structural engineering still matter too. Samsung Display uses laser drilling in the metal support plate behind the display to balance rigidity and flexibility, a technique analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported last July that Apple's foldable would also use via supplier Fine M-Tec. Samsung briefly showcased a crease-free panel at CES 2026, though it later clarified this was an R&D concept rather than a production-ready design.

Apple has reportedly pursued eliminating the crease "regardless of cost", and leaker "Fixed Focus Digital" reported in February that production orders had been placed with a crease depth under 0.15mm and a crease angle under 2.5 degrees. TrendForce estimates Apple could capture close to 20% of the foldable smartphone market this year, which it says would compress Samsung and Huawei to roughly 30% each.

The foldable iPhone is expected to be unveiled alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in September. Foxconn began trial production last week, and Samsung Display is reportedly on track to begin mass production of OLED panels for the device in May.
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Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone is expected to feature a book-style form factor that's relatively uncommon in the foldables market, but Huawei's new Pura X Max appears to share a similar wide aspect ratio.


Set to be released in China next week, Huawei's new device actually builds upon a design used by the original, smaller Pura X, which was marketed last year as an extra-wide flip phone. Little is known about the Pura X Max beyond its triple lens rear camera, while Huawei's imagery shows the device being used in both portrait and landscape.

Prior to the Pura X Max's unveiling, Apple's rumored device was said to most resemble Oppo's Find N5. Samsung is also believed to be adopting a similar wide aspect ratio form factor for one of its upcoming foldables.

We've heard plenty of rumors about the foldable iPhone‌'s design, but the first alleged dummy models appeared last week. The device will have a 5.5-inch display when closed, making it Apple's smallest current-generation iPhone. When open, it will be around 7.8 inches, which is around half an inch smaller than the iPad mini.

Apple is expected to debut its first foldable alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in September, with a launch likely to shortly follow the Pro devices' release. Most rumors have suggested that the ‌foldable iPhone will start at around $2,000 and be available in traditional space gray/black and silver/white finishes.


One rumor claims that Apple will call it the "iPhone Ultra," rather than "iPhone Fold," which is the shorthand the media has largely been using.
This article, "New Huawei Foldable Looks a Lot Like Apple's Rumored iPhone Fold" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple partner Foxconn has started trial production on the iPhone Fold, according to Chinese leaker Instant Digital. Trial production comes before mass production, which Apple plans to start in July as long as no issues come up during the earlier testing stage.


So far, Apple remains on track to launch the ‌iPhone Fold‌ in 2026, though the latest rumors suggest that it's not going to come out in September. Instead, it could launch sometime after the iPhone 18 Pro, debuting as late as December. Apple is likely to announce the iPhone 18 Pro models and the ‌iPhone Fold‌ at the same time at its September iPhone event, but the following launch sounds like it will be split.

The ‌iPhone Fold‌ will be Apple's first foldable, and it's expected to feature a ~5.5-inch screen size when closed and a larger ~7.8-inch size when open. Apple plans to use a wider 4:3 aspect ratio, so it will be similar in shape to an iPad, with a wider, shorter size than many competing foldable smartphones on the market.

Apple plans to make the ‌iPhone Fold‌ as thin as 4.5mm when it's open, and that thin design requires compromises. There won't be a triple-lens camera setup so no Telephoto lens, and Apple also can't use Face ID because the TrueDepth sensor doesn't fit. Rumors suggest the ‌iPhone Fold‌ will have an iPad-style Touch ID side button instead. Apple is supposedly focused on minimizing the crease, and has achieved a design with a nearly invisible fold down the middle when the device is open.

For more on what to expect from Apple's first foldable iPhone, we have a dedicated iPhone Fold roundup.
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Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has high expectations for Apple's first foldable iPhone.


In his Power On newsletter today, he said the foldable iPhone will be "the most significant overhaul in the iPhone's history."

"iPhone 4, iPhone 6 and iPhone X were clearly a big deal, but this is a whole new design," he said.

Like Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7, the foldable iPhone will reportedly open up like a book, providing users with a large inner screen for watching videos, playing games, and multitasking. iOS 27 is expected to be optimized for the foldable iPhone, allowing for apps to be open side-by-side and for other iPad-like multitasking functionality.

A few months ago, a report said the foldable iPhone will be equipped with a 7.7-inch inner display, and a 5.3-inch outer display. It was initially rumored that the device would have a virtually "crease-free" inner display, but it was later reported that Apple is using technology that "reduces the crease without eliminating it entirely."

Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects the foldable iPhone to have two rear cameras, one front camera, and a Touch ID power button instead of Face ID.

Apple will likely unveil the foldable iPhone in September this year, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. However, according to analyst Tim Long and Gurman, the foldable iPhone might ship later than the Pro models.

In the U.S., it has been estimated that the foldable iPhone may start at or above $1,999.


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The new foldable iPhone won't ship to customers in the same September timeframe as the iPhone 18 Pro and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said today in a Q&A session.


Apple will likely ship the iPhone Fold to customers after the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and Pro Max come out in September, but Gurman did not provide a specific availability timeline.

Earlier this month, Barclays analyst Tim Long suggested that the foldable iPhone won't ship until December, suggesting a roughly three-month delay between the ‌iPhone Fold‌ and the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models. Apple has done a split launch before, shipping one model later than another. When the iPhone X launched in 2017, it shipped out in November, while the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus introduced alongside it came out in September as usual.

It is entirely possible Apple will ship the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max in September and then follow it with the ‌iPhone Fold‌ sometime between September and the end of the year. Back in December, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the ‌iPhone Fold‌ would be in short supply, suggesting manufacturing difficulties. Kuo expects supply constraints into 2027, and supply problems or manufacturing issues could explain why Apple would delay the ‌iPhone Fold‌'s shipment date.

Even if Apple does plan to ship the ‌iPhone Fold‌ after September, we can still expect to see it introduced during the annual iPhone event that will feature the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models. Apple will likely announce all three phones at once, and then bring them to customers when they're ready.
This article, "iPhone Fold Likely to Ship Later Than iPhone 18 Pro" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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