When you’ve marked 2026 because the yr Apple will lastly launch its extremely anticipated foldable iPhone in your calendar, chances are you’ll have to 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 is likely to 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 continues to be mulling over the ultimate design decisions 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 sequence.
Nevertheless, it is necessary to notice {that a} delay till 2027 will not be sure. The identical report additionally states {that a} 2026 launch stays potential, however that manufacturing could 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 isn’t simply the foldable iPhone which may not come out till 2027, but additionally the iPhone 18. In its report, Japan’s Mizuho Securities corroborates stories we noticed earlier this yr about Apple probably splitting the launch of the iPhone 18 sequence in half.
What does this imply precisely? It is rumored Apple shall 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 think about this a delay of the iPhone 18, essentially, however reasonably 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 yr that it’s going to provide a “comparable design” to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the book-style foldable Samsung launched earlier this yr. Gurman additionally mentioned that he would not count on the foldable iPhone to “revolutionize the class,” which suggests the know-how behind the foldable iPhone may not 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 anyplace from $2,000 to $2,500.
If these specs grow to be 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 properly, Samsung will in all probability have already got its next-generation Fold cellphone out, presumably the Fold 8, because it normally 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 recreation 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 work out what hinge to make use of quickly, in order that the foldable iPhone can truly be launched sooner reasonably than later in 2026, however with Apple’s indecision, it appears it may very simply slip into 2027.
