Apple's foldable phone to launch in late 2026, Samsung panels already ordered

Ming-Chi Kuo, one of the most renowned Apple-related analysts, shared an interesting report regarding Apple's future foldable phone. We've heard many rumors about the device in the past, but according to the latest supply chain analysis, the Cupertino-based company is close to releasing a bendy.

The first evidence comes from the assembly supplier for Apple, Foxconn. According to people familiar with the matter, the company is about to kick off the project in Q3 2025 or early Q4, while mass production will likely commence in the second half of 2026.

Most of the components are not yet finalized, including the "liquidmetal hinge". The display, on the other hand, is one of the few components with finished specs. It's going to be sourced from Samsung Display. This alone might give us a pretty good idea of how the foldable iPhone will turn out.

According to the report, Apple has ordered 7-8 million foldable panels, while the supposed production of foldable iPhones is anything between 15 and 20 million units. Ming-Chi Kuo suspects that the plan is to meet the cumulative demand over the product's lifecycle of around 2-3 years. It's unlikely that Apple will sell 15 million units in 2026 alone, given the premium price tag.

Source