Production of foldable OLED displays for Apple’s first foldable iPhone have begun ahead of its expected launch next year, Korea’s ETNews reports.
The first foldable iPhone’s displays are being produced by Samsung Display, who are establishing a production line dedicated to the upcoming Apple device its A3 factory in Asan, Chungcheongnam-do. The production line will make displays exclusively for the foldable iPhone and work on the facility is now believed to be in its final stage. It will be capable of producing 15 million 7-inch foldable OLED panels per year.
Apple’s first foldable iPhone is expected to feature an inward-folding OLED display. It will likely sit alongside the other models in next year’s iPhone lineup, including the iPhone 18, iPhone 18 Air, iPhone 18 Pro, and iPhone 18 Pro Max. It will be refreshed annually in the fall just like the other models.
Apple is apparently planning to produce six to eight million foldable iPhones in 2026. While Samsung’s production capacity of 15 million displays per year far exceeds Apple’s requirements for 2026, the supplier is said to be preparing for new models and increasing sales in subsequent years.
Samsung Display apparently has secured an agreement with provide Apple with foldable displays as the sole supplier for two years. While Apple usually prefers to diversify its supply chain where possible, Samsung has unique technological expertise in foldable OLED displays due to offering its own foldable smartphones, which it has been making commercially since 2019.
As a result, Samsung is likely to remain the exclusive supplier of Apple’s foldable iPhone displays for three years and a least be a key supplier thereafter. Samsung Display similarly led Apple’s transition from LCD to OLED with the iPhone X and iPhone XS.
Apple’s first foldable iPhone is expected to feature a super-thin design at 4.5mm, a 4:3 iPad-style 7-inch inner display with no visible crease, a durable hinge, a dual rear camera system with wide and ultra wide options, the “A20” chip, and Touch ID instead of Face ID. It could cost over $2,000.
