In another sign that the iPhone Fold may be coming relatively soon, Samsung Display has reportedly begun construction of a production line dedicated to making its screens.
While the iPhone fold has been said to be about to launch for years, most recently strong rumors have said that it is finally in prototype testing. Those rumors point to mass production in 2026, and now Samsung Display’s work appears to back that up.
According to ET News, Samsung Display is building a new production line at its A3 factory in Asan, Chungcheongnam-do, about 55 miles from Seoul. Work reportedly began in the second half of 2024, but is now nearing completion.
The report amalgamates quotes from who it describes as several industry officials. Specifically regarding manufacturing of the iPhone fold screen, they are claimed to have said that, “I know that Samsung Display has signed an exclusive contract with Apple.”
This fits with previous reports. Some of those further claim that the company will produce Apple-designed screens that will not suffer the same creasing problems as other folding displays, including those by Samsung.
It’s expected that the production line will be able to produce 1.25 million 7-inch foldable OLED displays per month, for a total of 15 million per year. The new report claims that Apple is expected to produce between 6 million and 8 million of the iPhone fold in 2026, but there’s no clear basis for that estimate.
Note that ET News does not have the strongest track record as it pertains to Apple’s plans. It does better when reporting on Apple’s supply chain.
Most recently, its sources claimed that the 20th anniversary iPhone will get advanced screen and battery technology.
