iPhone Fold: Launch Date, Value, Enormous Battery and All the things We Know

For years, rumors have swirled that Apple has been toiling away on a foldable iPhone, nicknamed the iPhone Fold. Over the past yr, quite a few leaks have advised that it might really be launched in 2026. The most recent rumor, from a leaker on Weibo, means that Apple’s first foldable could have a 5,500-mAh battery, which might make it the biggest on any iPhone, surpassing the 5,088-mAh capability on the iPhone 17 Professional Max. 

However many of the curiosity has been round how Apple’s thriller foldable will look. Lately, an Apple fan made a 3D-printed mock-up for an Apple book-style foldable’s attainable design, trying extra like a Microsoft Floor Duo merged with an iPhone 17 Professional than the Galaxy Z Fold 7 or Pixel 10 Professional Fold. In different phrases, a imaginative and prescient of two separate iPhone screens linked collectively slightly than a steady, folding show.

That is an fascinating proposition contemplating rumors have spoken of Apple’s efforts to cut back the seam the place a foldable display bends. The one on the iPhone Fold is rumored to have little or no crease, based on a current report by the Chinese language publication UDN. Display screen creases, particularly on early foldable telephones, have lengthy aggravated some shoppers and critics. And whereas the crease on newer foldables seems to be quite a bit much less deep, it is nonetheless there. Samsung’s new Galaxy Z TriFold has two display creases, one for every of its hinges. It could be a significant breakthrough if Apple has certainly discovered a approach to fold a display in half with out leaving a crease.

We have but to listen to any official phrase on a foldable iPhone from Apple.

Foldable telephones signify a tiny fraction of all telephones bought globally. CNET discovered that 64% of individuals surveyed stated they do not desire a foldable telephone. However these numbers might change if Apple have been to promote a foldable iPhone. Analysts at IDC forecast a 30% year-over-year development if Apple have been to launch a foldable iPhone in 2026.

Apple launched the iPhone 17 sequence together with the brand new super-thin iPhone Air in September. Given all of the engineering it took to cram cameras and parts into the highest half of the Air, some have theorized that the system is a stepping stone to a foldable, which might make the most of the Air’s inner design.

Numerous hope and expectation has been positioned on Apple to launch one, and if rumors are right, we cannot have to attend for much longer for the corporate to take action.

Watch this: iPhone Flip: What Apple’s Foldable Future Might Look Like

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iPhone Fold historical past

Rumors recommend Apple is growing a book-style foldable just like the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Years in the past, in 2017, people predicted {that a} foldable iPhone might launch within the then-near way forward for 2020 — which did not occur. Analysts and leakers have been kicking the discharge date down the street ever since, and rumors and want lists have lingered as telephone followers hold their hopes alive. Absent any confirmed particulars from Apple, here is every thing we all know up to now in regards to the firm’s future foray into foldables.

A brand new patent granted to Apple in July 2024, which was utilized for years in the past, exhibits how lengthy the corporate has been engaged on a folding iPhone. Kuo’s report in early March stated that an Apple foldable might launch on the finish of 2026, with a 7.8-inch crease-free interior show and a 5.5-inch outer show.

Accordingly, Kuo believes the value would match that of different related folding gadgets, at $2,000 to $2,500. Regardless of the excessive price ticket, he says projected shipments are 3 to five million gadgets, which is a assured estimate given solely 19.3 foldables have been bought in 2024, market analysis agency IDC reported. 

Though many experiences have targeted on the corporate’s struggles to remove the crease inside the inner folding show, Apple’s patent signifies that the event has been ongoing for a while. Creases have plagued foldable telephones since their introduction in 2020, and though the newest Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 have diminished the crease, it’s nonetheless seen and noticeable. 

By mid-2024, market analysts at TrendForce estimated that show crease points may push again an Apple foldable till 2027, based on 9to5Mac. Prior rumors stated Apple could not launch its personal versatile display system till 2025, and Samsung hasn’t let telephone followers neglect it by releasing an app that may let Apple telephone homeowners expertise a Z Fold-esque expertise by putting two iPhones side-by-side. 

Learn extra: I Visited Samsung’s Dwelling Turf to See if Foldable Telephones Are Actually the Future

iPhone 2026 lineup

There is no assure about which telephones Apple will launch throughout its standard September window, however the most secure wager is on one other sequence of flat telephones, which we count on to be the iPhone 18 sequence. However what else could possibly be coming alongside the same old lineup?

There could possibly be an iPhone Air 2, although rumors battle on whether or not to count on one subsequent yr or not. There’s been much more proof for an iPhone Fold, although whether or not it comes out in 2026 or in later years remains to be unsure. If the iPhone Fold does launch subsequent yr, extra rumors have advised a clamshell system has been prioritized and should come first — given experiences of Apple researching a book-style foldable, we might get a kind of as effectively. 

In mid-January, MacRumors reportedly noticed a analysis observe from analyst Jeff Pu suggesting that the iPhone Fold will pack 12GB of reminiscence — as will the whole iPhone 18 line. Apple by no means discloses how a lot RAM is included in its telephones, however specs websites like GSMArena have reported that the usual iPhone 17 has 8GB of RAM, whereas the remainder of the sequence (iPhone Air, 17 Professional and Professional Max) all have 12GB. If right, which means Apple would not assume its foldable will want extra reminiscence than its normal flat telephones — it’s going to have extra display space, however doubtlessly no higher {hardware} than its iPhone 18 siblings.

It is also fascinating to see the usual iPhone 18 packing 12GB of reminiscence, because the RAM scarcity is predicted to hike costs on telephones launched in 2026. Apple could also be prepared to pay the value for a extra succesful fundamental mannequin of iPhone 18, or maybe it’s going to cross these prices on to the buyer with a value hike. 

iPhone Fold or iPhone Air 2?

There’s the possibility that we get an iPhone Fold subsequent yr, which rumors have stated might launch in 2026 on the earliest, although it might additionally come out in 2027 or later. It needs to be famous that analysts and rumors had predicted a foldable iPhone launch from way back to 2022, so the rolling potential launch home windows do not lend confidence that we’ll essentially see the system come out subsequent yr. Given Samsung’s six-year head begin on making foldables, Apple appears to be in no rush to get one out.

Whereas the iPhone Air got here out with the iPhone 17 handsets, there are conflicting rumors on whether or not we’ll see an iPhone Air 2 in 2026. A current report from The Info says that Apple is delaying the discharge of the subsequent model of the iPhone, citing individuals aware of the matter. This follows rumors that disappointing iPhone Air gross sales after launch led Apple to dial again manufacturing, although even that declare was denounced by TD Cowen, based on a observe from the funding analysis agency that was seen by AppleInsider that asserted the corporate would proceed producing the skinny telephone. The Info’s story was amended to say that the delay could possibly be brought on by engineers who’re re-considering the Air’s design in order that it might assist a second rear digital camera.

All of which casts doubt on whether or not we’ll get an iPhone Air 2 subsequent yr, however there’s not sufficient proof but to roundly dismiss the chance. 

iPhone Fold specs

There aren’t any confirmed specs for the iPhone Fold, as a result of Apple hasn’t even confirmed one exists or is popping out. Given we do not have a yr of anticipated launch, we won’t a lot predict what sort of inner specs the iPhone Fold could have — presumably, Apple will need its strongest A-series chip to run it, together with sufficient RAM to deal with two or three shows (relying on whether or not it folds inward or outward and desires a devoted outer display). 

We do have some predictions for different specs, although just for the book-style Fold (not the clamshell). In March, analyst Kuo predicted the bigger Fold might have a 5.5-inch outer display and seven.8-inch interior show. When folded up, it is going to be 9-9.5mm thick and 4.5-4.8mm when unfolded. A front-facing digital camera will likely be accessible whether or not the telephone is folded or unfolded, whereas it should even have two rear cameras. 

Kuo predicted that the system will use the identical high-density battery cells as utilized in what he referred to then because the “ultra-thin iPhone 17” which is presumably the iPhone Air. However that trim thickness means the foldable could forgo Face ID, so the system could use Contact ID in a facet button. 

Some rumors about {hardware} have emerged. In January, an analyst observe seen by MacRumors suggests Apple’s foldable might launch with 12GB of RAM, the identical quantity within the Galaxy Z Fold 7‘s beginning configuration. That would imply Apple would not want a variety of reminiscence to deal with a number of screens or that it is not banking on massive AI options that may take up a variety of RAM.

We lastly have a prediction on the iPhone Fold’s battery, with Weibo leaker Fastened Focus Digital posting that it’ll have a 5,500-mAh capability, as 9to5Mac first reported. That is considerably bigger than batteries on another foldables — for instance, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 has a 4,400-mAh capability — however Samsung has been within the foldable recreation for thus a few years that it is certain to have elevated effectivity, seemingly in an effort to slim down the thickness of its gadgets. But if the Weibo leak is true, this would be the largest battery ever on an Apple handset. The iPhone 17 Professional Max has a 5,088-mAh battery.

iPhone Fold launch date

Apple has neither confirmed the iPhone Fold nor introduced a correct launch date. Analysts and rumors have predicted that the foldable might come out in 2026 or be pushed till subsequent yr.

As for timing, for the reason that iPhone Air was launched alongside the iPhone 17 fashions, the Fold might come alongside the iPhone 18 sequence. However since Apple launched the iPhone 16E early this yr, far earlier than the September window for its most important iPhone launch, the corporate might do the identical with the iPhone 17E in 2026. Apple might even delay the launch of the usual iPhone 18 to the spring of 2027 to make room for the iPhone Fold in Apple’s Sept. 2026 launch, based on an ET Information report. Provided that Samsung offsets its normal and foldable telephone releases at Unpacked occasions months other than one another, Apple might do the identical.

What Apple’s new patent says in regards to the iPhone Flip

After years of rumors that Apple was engaged on foldable telephones, a patent was lastly granted to the corporate, confirming that it has been working towards a folding iPhone. The 22-page patent (PDF), merely titled “Digital Units With Sturdy Folding Shows,” was filed in November 2021 and granted on July 16, 2024.

Sadly for folding iPhone hopefuls, the patent would not supply a lot illumination of what an iPhone Flip may seem like. Many of the pages present figures depicting cross-sections of potential shows that fold a few hinge however not the system they’re folding round. 

There are some tidbits deeper into the textual content of the patent that trace at potential design decisions Apple may make, like a hinge that holds the show flat when unfolded however which might let the show “barely fold in regards to the bend axis when the digital system is jolted through the drop occasion” — in different phrases, if dropped, the system would fold inward barely in order that it lands on its edges to guard the interior show. 

It is vital to notice that each one proof exhibits Apple engaged on a foldable iPhone, however the patent broadly applies to folding shows on the whole — to wit, some determine schematics describe a tool that “could also be a mobile phone, pill pc, laptop computer pc, wristwatch system or different wearable system, a tv, a stand-alone pc show or different monitor” or screens as far-ranging as on autos, in kiosks, in media gamers or different digital gear. 

The remainder of the patent describes what an Apple system with a folding show could have and categorically lists issues like batteries and wi-fi charging, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, LED or LCD shows, microphones and capacitive sensors, haptics and so forth. There’s express point out of a show folding 180 levels, or totally flat, which follows most different foldables — presumably, Apple is not going to leapfrog the competitors in following Samsung’s idea shows we noticed at CES that unfold practically 360 levels. 

Two foldable iPhone Flips?

Foldable iPhone hopefuls will a minimum of be inspired that Apple seemingly continues to tinker with an iPhone Flip design. The corporate is claimed to be engaged on two sizes of folding iPhones: a book-style and a clamshell-style, based on an older report by The Info, though this can be contradicted by a more moderen report by the identical web site suggesting Apple had settled on the latter for a smaller system. This aligns with prior rumors hinting the iPhone Flip will likely be within the clamshell format just like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip sequence or Motorola Razr Extremely. 

It seems like Apple’s been struggling to satisfy its excessive expectations: The corporate’s design workforce needs the iPhone Flip to be half as skinny as present iPhone fashions and to have shows on the skin which can be seen when the system is folded shut, based on the report.

Improvement on the iPhone Flip was halted round 2020, the older report famous, in an effort to concentrate on a brand new challenge, a folding iPad. This system would have an 8-inch show, across the dimension of the iPad Mini. The foldable pill supposedly had much less strict sturdiness and thickness necessities, because it would not want to slot in pockets like an iPhone Flip. Apple was nonetheless engaged on methods to cut back the crease in the midst of the folding show and get the iPad to lie totally flat. 

Launch date: The iPhone Flip might launch in 2027

The most recent indications of an iPhone Flip launch date got here again in June, when analyst Kuo advised manufacturing might kick off in 2026 with telephones popping out that yr. This follows Kuo’s earlier prediction in March that the corporate might launch a crease-free foldable by the tip of 2026. Moreover, this may seemingly be a book-style foldable with a 7.8-inch inner show and 5.5-inch exterior display, which is counter to different predictions anticipating a clamshell-style foldable. 

It is attainable that these timeline predictions apply to at least one or the opposite or, because of the obscure nature of rumors, even each — that’s, Apple could possibly be engaged on each a book-style and clamshell model foldable, although it is much less clear if launch date expectations can be interchangeable or if Apple would stagger their launch.

It has been an open secret for years that Apple is working towards a foldable iPhone. The corporate has been registering patents for foldable applied sciences for nearly a decade, and whereas there is no assure that one will come out even in spite of everything that analysis (keep in mind AirPower?), there’s nonetheless been buzz and attainable launch dates floated for years — although nonetheless not one stable sufficient to get enthusiastic about. 

Early rumors pointed way back to 2021 as a possible goal date, however the yr handed with no foldable iPhone in sight. A March 2021 report from longtime analyst Kuo (through MacRumors) advised 2023 is perhaps extra lifelike (although that yr has come and gone). In line with Kuo, Apple nonetheless wants to determine expertise and mass manufacturing points earlier than bringing a tool like this to market, therefore the wait. Hypothesis later in 2021 from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman aligned with Kuo’s predictions: In his Energy On E-newsletter, Gurman stated that the foldable iPhone could not arrive for an additional two to a few years.

Since then, new rumors have pointed to a good later launch. Dependable show analyst Ross Younger stated in February 2024 that the foldable iPhone had been pushed again to 2025, and Kuo reaffirmed his predicted launch window in a tweet in April 2022.

“Apple could launch its first foldable product in 2025 on the earliest, which can be a foldable iPad or a hybrid of iPad and iPhone,” Kuo wrote within the tweet.

One other rumor, first observed by MacRumors in February of 2024 by Weibo-based blogger Fastened Focus Digital, advised that the foldable iPhone challenge is delayed for the foreseeable future. The issue? Apple, which is rumored to be utilizing Samsung folding panels for its iPhone Flip’s show, was dissatisfied with the screens’ efficiency after they broke down a couple of days into testing.

That is echoed by the newest estimate by TrendForce market analysts, reported in 9to5Mac, which predicted that an Apple foldable won’t be launched till 2027 on the earliest. Why? Apple’s strict necessities for reliability and the telephone show’s crease. However Kuo’s newer March 2025 predictions explicitly famous a crease-free foldable show, suggesting Apple may need moved previous this roadblock — if all these rumors are to be believed, after all.

Learn extra: High Foldable Telephones for 2025

Watch this: Foldable Telephones Might Be the Future. In South Korea, They’re the Current

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Design: What’s going to the foldable iPhone seem like?

A 2021 report from Bloomberg indicated Apple already had a working prototype of a foldable iPhone show. Whereas it wasn’t a working mannequin, it was a step up from a patent — which, till then, was all we had seen. 

Apple appears to have taken out each patent underneath the solar in relation to foldable shows, together with an origami-style folding show, a flip-up show and even a wraparound show. We do not know which one will make the ultimate minimize, however each Kuo and Bloomberg appear to agree that the present prototype is extra of a conventional fold-out design.

Not like Microsoft’s Floor Duo, which has hinges on the outside, Apple’s would have one steady show with a hidden hinge mechanism just like the Galaxy Fold. 

Apple leaker Jon Prosser reported in early 2021 that the iPhone Flip will seemingly use a clamshell design and are available a number of “enjoyable colours.” Between the vibrant pastels of the iPhone 15 and Plus and the sleeker deep blue of the iPhone 15 Professional and Professional Max, an array of enjoyable colours for Apple’s first foldable system is unquestionably a risk.

YouTuber ConceptsiPhone additionally gave us a glimpse into what the iPhone Flip might look with idea artwork of the foldable iPhone within the colours blue, purple, gold and inexperienced.

In March 2025, analyst Kuo had some very particular however non-clamshell predictions: that Apple would launch a book-style foldable with a 5.5-inch outer display that unfolded to have a 7.8-inch inner display, and be 4.5-4.8mm when unfolded however 9-9.5mm thick. It could have the identical high-density battery cells because the “ultra-thin iPhone 17” and a hinge with chrome steel and titanium alloy (a favourite materials of Apple’s iPhone 16 Professional and Professional Max in addition to the Apple Watch Extremely 2). 

Per Kuo’s predictions, the foldable could have two rear cameras and a front-facing digital camera on each the exterior and inner shows. Most curiously, Kuo additionally expects that Apple’s book-style foldable will see the return of Contact ID as a facet button, as Face ID is perhaps unnoticed resulting from house constraints — presumably for the array of depth-of-field sensors and cameras wanted for the tech. 

Roadblocks: What nonetheless stands in Apple’s means? 

Samsung and others have been testing the waters, however Apple has been studying from the ache factors of their foldable gadgets and determining how they’d be used.

Certainly one of these ache factors is the crease. Numerous the present cowl supplies, together with the glass and plastic combine that Samsung makes use of for the Z Fold and Z Flip, present a visual crease when folded out to full display. To keep away from it, Apple would seemingly have to attend for Corning, Apple’s glass supplier, to create some sort of bendable model of its Ceramic Protect display. The corporate is already engaged on a bendable glass however hasn’t introduced a launch date for it. 

Kuo tweeted in April 2022 that Apple was testing a foldable OLED display. Korean tech information web site The Elec additionally reported that Apple was working with LG to develop a foldable OLED panel. 

Value: Foldable telephones do not come low-cost

Value is one other main drawback for most of these gadgets. Though Samsung nonetheless has probably the most reasonably priced folding telephone with the clamshell Motorola Razr at $700, most others within the class are book-style foldables just like the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Pixel 9 Professional Fold, that are round twice the value of most flagship telephones. We would not count on a foldable iPhone to be cheaper than its rivals. Apple’s foldable must be consistent with present foldable and nonfoldable fashions to have the ability to compete in opposition to different manufacturers and entice iPhone customers to ditch their single-screen gadgets and pay extra for a foldable.

Analyst Kuo predicted {that a} book-style iPhone foldable coming in 2026 could possibly be priced anyplace from $2,000 to $2,500 because it’s “anticipated to generate robust alternative demand-despite the premium price-provided high quality meets expectations.”

A report final yr discovered that half of American shoppers are eager about shopping for a foldable telephone, although Apple clients are barely much less prepared to make the leap than Samsung or LG customers. Maybe the “Apple impact” will change these stats if and when a foldable iPhone ever turns into a actuality.