The foldable iPhone has been in the news for years, but Apple has yet to make any of its efforts public. Meanwhile, Samsung and Huawei have dominated the foldable phone landscape, though demand isn’t exactly soaring at this point.
More recently, rumors said that the foldable iPhone will be unveiled in 2026, describing the device as the catalyst the foldable niche needs to see meaningful growth in the coming years. Other leaks also said that Apple has settled on a vertical folding design for the foldable iPhone rather than the clamshell flip phone design.
This brings us to a new report from Korea that claims the September 2026 release date for the foldable iPhone is confirmed. More interesting are the claims about the handset’s tech. Apparently, the foldable iPhone is expected to feature more advanced technology than anything we’ve seen so far from rivals.
The details come from X leaker Jukanlosreve, who extracted it from a pay-walled article in the Korean-language news outlet Kipost.
The leaker provided the following list of details about the foldable iPhone from the Korean source:
Production: May 2026
Launch: September 2026 (almost confirmed)
Form Factor: Book-style (similar to the Galaxy Fold)
Annual Production Volume: 15–20 million units
Display Supplier: Samsung Display (exclusive supplier)
Technology: Expected to feature the most advanced technology, surpassing all existing foldables.
There’s nothing groundbreaking here. If the foldable iPhone is coming in 2026, we’d expect it to enter production in the summer months preceding the September 2026 launch event.
The phone’s Galaxy Z Fold-like design also makes sense, given the earlier claims we saw from a well-connected display analyst.
As for the annual volume, 20 million foldable iPhone units would account for fewer than 10% of Apple’s annual iPhone sales. But I’ll point out that no smartphone vendor sells that amount of Fold-type foldable phones, not even Samsung.
Also, it makes sense that Samsung Display would provide the foldable OLED panels for the so-called iPhone Fold. Samsung has been a big supplier of iPhone displays, and its foldable OLED panels are easily the best in the industry right now.
The only thing surprising about the list is the unparalleled “advanced technology” claim. What could Apple do for a foldable iPhone that rivals can’t match? By the time this iPhone Fold launches, Samsung will have made eight Galaxy Z Fold generations that offered all sorts of upgrades over the years.
The Korean giant approached foldable phone development more timidly than Chinese vendors, which is understandable after its big fumble with the first-gen model. After that, Samsung implemented features that rivals came up with first, like larger cover screens for the Flip and a thinner design for the Fold.
During this time, Samsung improved the durability, design quality, and performance of its Galaxy Z Fold and Flip models.
Samsung also made fun of Apple for not making a foldable iPhone over the years. With each campaign, it became clear that Samsung actually needed Apple to make a foldable iPhone. Apple entering this niche would make this form factor go mainstream in a way Samsung could never do on its own. Also, Samsung Display would benefit directly.
The Apple magic?
Back to Apple, I also expect Apple to deliver its own take on foldables, which would explain why it waited so long. Apple will say it did foldable phones right by focusing on specific things that aren’t available from competitors. But I can’t really see what these would be.
One key feature I’d want to see from a foldable iPhone is the absence of the screen crease, though Samsung has to solve that first. I’d also expect advanced Face ID functionality, which could concern both the cover screen and the internal panel. Apple could also deliver new hinge mechanisms, better battery tech, and an iOS operating system that’s truly optimized for the tablet experience.
Then there’s the iPhone 17 Air design coming this year, which will set the stage for an ultra-slim foldable iPhone Fold device. Add the 2026 Apple Intelligence experience, and you’ve got the complete foldable iPhone package.
While I’m speculating here, all these things sound like regular expectations from longtime iPhone users. Put them together, and you might end up with a foldable experience unlike anything else on the market. Apple will surely call it magical, and every rival will want to steal parts of it.
