According to reports, Apple will likely release a foldable iPhone in the coming years as it tries to catch up with rival Android smartphone makers. The iPhone maker has fallen behind in the foldable competition since Apple failed to unveil or release its first foldable smartphone.
While there have been several rumors, we have not seen any concrete evidence or leaks from Apple regarding a foldable smartphone. While previous reports suggested that Apple’s first foldable would be a larger, book-style folding iPad, new details point to a flip-style foldable instead.
According to a report from DigiTimes Asia (paywalled), Apple is developing a flip-style or clamshell iPhone. According to the publication, Apple is now “conducting research and development” for its first foldable device, which may be released as early as 2026. This contradicts previous claims that the company was developing a book-style iPad as its first foldable.
According to the publication, Apple has even signed Samsung Display as a supplier for its clamshell foldable. It also claims that Apple would not focus on the larger book-style iPad foldable due to citing problems with the Chinese market, and that a foldable iPhone will be its first foldable.
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The report is not entirely surprising, given that a February rumor stated that Apple is developing both flip-style and book-style foldable devices. The report also revealed Apple’s prototypes, which featured two clamshell-style foldable at the time, as well as the existence of a folding iPad in the works.
Apple’s Vision Pro team was also reportedly relocated to work on its future foldables. The same research suggested that Apple was unlikely to deliver a foldable device until 2027.
