If you happen to’ve marked 2026 because the 12 months Apple will lastly launch its extremely anticipated foldable iPhone in your calendar, you could must cross it out. A latest report means that the launch might be delayed.
In accordance with The Elec, citing a report from Japan’s Mizuho Securities, the discharge of Apple’s first foldable iPhone could be pushed again to 2027, as a consequence of Apple taking longer to finalize sure design components of the cellphone, such because the hinge and different “key specs.” Since Apple remains to be mulling over the ultimate design selections for the cellphone, the report signifies that this might hinder mass manufacturing of sufficient models in time for a possible fall 2026 launch alongside the iPhone 18 collection.
Nonetheless, it is necessary to notice {that a} delay till 2027 shouldn’t be sure. The identical report additionally states {that a} 2026 launch stays doable, however that manufacturing can be restricted to solely 5 to seven million models worldwide.
The iPhone 18 may additionally not come out till 2027
The foldable iPhone might be smaller than the Galaxy Z Fold 7
It is not simply the foldable iPhone that may not come out till 2027, but in addition the iPhone 18. In its report, Japan’s Mizuho Securities corroborates experiences we noticed earlier this 12 months about Apple probably splitting the launch of the iPhone 18 collection in half.
What does this imply precisely? It is rumored Apple can be releasing the iPhone 18 within the spring of 2027, alongside the iPhone 18e, with the iPhone 18 Professional, iPhone 18 Professional Max, and the iPhone Air 2 being launched within the fall of 2026.
I would not contemplate this a delay of the iPhone 18, essentially, however somewhat a brand new technique Apple might be taking with the launch of latest iPhone fashions.
So it appears the foldable iPhone may probably come out with the iPhone 18 Professional within the fall of 2026, or as a consequence of points with mass manufacturing, land in 2027 with the bottom iPhone 18.
As for what the foldable iPhone has in retailer, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported earlier this 12 months that it’s going to supply a “comparable design” to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the book-style foldable Samsung launched earlier this 12 months. Gurman additionally mentioned that he would not anticipate the foldable iPhone to “revolutionize the class,” which implies the expertise behind the foldable iPhone won’t deviate an excessive amount of from foldable telephones we have already seen, such because the Fold 7 or the Pixel 10 Professional Fold.
Again in March, Apple supply-chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that the foldable iPhone may have roughly a 7.8-inch internal show and a 5.8-inch outer show, with a price ticket ranging wherever from $2,000 to $2,500.
If these specs turn into correct, that really makes the first-generation foldable iPhone smaller than Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7, which has an 8-inch internal show and a a lot bigger 6.5-inch outer show. One other fascinating factor to notice is that by the point Apple lastly releases the cellphone as effectively, Samsung will in all probability have already got its next-generation Fold cellphone out, presumably the Fold 8, because it often releases its new foldables in the summertime.
Personally, it nonetheless boggles my thoughts that Apple hasn’t launched a foldable iPhone but, given how Samsung has been within the sport now for half a decade, and Google is now on its third-generation foldable, with the latest launch of the Pixel 10 Professional Fold. Hopefully, Apple can determine what hinge to make use of quickly, in order that the foldable iPhone can really be launched sooner somewhat than later in 2026, however with Apple’s indecision, it appears it may very simply slip into 2027.
