Apple nonetheless hasn’t confirmed plans for a foldable iPhone, however the rumors across the so-called iPhone Fold maintain getting louder. After years of hypothesis, a number of studies now counsel Apple might be aiming for a launch within the second half of 2026, with new particulars trickling out concerning the telephone’s design, show tech and the place it’d sit within the iPhone lineup.
As with all unannounced Apple product, nothing is locked in. Options can change, timelines can transfer and a few concepts might by no means make it past inside testing. That stated, latest reporting from supply-chain sources, analysts and leakers offers us a clearer image of how Apple would possibly method its first foldable and the way it may attempt to set itself other than rivals like Samsung and Google.
Under, we’ve rounded up essentially the most credible iPhone Fold rumors up to now, protecting the whole lot from doable launch timing and kind issue to show particulars, cameras and pricing. We’ll maintain updating this publish as new data emerges.
When may the iPhone Fold launch?
Rumors of a foldable iPhone date again so far as 2017, however newer reporting suggests Apple has lastly locked onto a sensible window. Most sources now level to fall 2026, probably alongside the iPhone 18 lineup.
Mark Gurman has gone backwards and forwards on timing, initially suggesting Apple may launch “as early as 2026,” earlier than later writing that the gadget would ship on the finish of 2026 and promote primarily in 2027. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has additionally repeatedly cited the second half of 2026 as Apple’s goal.
Some studies nonetheless declare the undertaking may slip into 2027 if Apple runs into manufacturing or sturdiness points, notably across the hinge or show. Given Apple’s historical past of delaying merchandise that it feels aren’t prepared, that is still an actual chance.
What’s going to the iPhone Fold appear to be?
Present consensus suggests Apple has settled on a book-style foldable design, much like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold sequence, fairly than a clamshell flip telephone.
When unfolded, the iPhone Fold is anticipated to resemble a small pill just like the iPad mini (8.3 inches). Based mostly on the rumor mill, although, the iPhone Fold could also be a contact smaller, with an inside show measuring round 7.7 to 7.8 inches. When closed, it ought to perform like a standard smartphone, with an outer show within the 5.5-inch vary.
CAD leaks and alleged case-maker molds counsel the gadget could also be shorter and wider than an ordinary iPhone when folded, making a squarer footprint that higher matches the side ratio of the internal show. A number of studies have additionally pointed to the iPhone Air as a possible preview of Apple’s foldable design work, with its unusually skinny chassis broadly interpreted as a have a look at what one half of a future foldable iPhone may resemble.
If that concept holds, it may assist clarify the Fold’s rumored dimensions. Thickness is anticipated to land between roughly 4.5 and 5.6mm when unfolded, placing it in an identical vary to the iPhone Air, and simply over 9 to 11mm when folded, relying on the ultimate hinge design and inside layering.
Show and the crease query
The show is arguably the largest problem for any foldable telephone, and it’s an space the place Apple seems to have invested years of improvement.
A number of studies say Apple will depend on Samsung Show as its main provider. At CES 2026, Samsung showcased a brand new crease-less foldable OLED panel, which a number of sources — together with Bloomberg — steered might be the identical know-how Apple plans to make use of.
In response to these studies, the panel combines a versatile OLED with a laser-drilled metallic assist plate that disperses stress when folding. The aim is a show with an almost invisible crease, one thing Apple reportedly considers important earlier than getting into the foldable market.
If Apple does use this panel, it will mark a notable enchancment over present foldables, which nonetheless present seen creasing beneath sure lighting circumstances.
Cameras and biometrics
Digital camera rumors counsel Apple is planning a four-camera setup. That will embody:
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Two rear cameras (major and ultra-wide, each rumored at 48MP)
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One punch-hole digital camera on the outer show
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One under-display digital camera on the internal display
A number of sources declare Apple will keep away from Face ID fully on the iPhone Fold. As a substitute, it’s anticipated to depend on Contact ID constructed into the ability button, much like latest iPad fashions. This is able to enable Apple to maintain each shows freed from notches or Dynamic Island cutouts.
Underneath-display digital camera know-how has traditionally produced decrease picture high quality, however a rumored 24MP sensor can be a big step up in comparison with current foldables, which usually use a lot lower-resolution sensors.
iPhone Fold’s hinge and supplies
The hinge is one other space the place Apple might diverge from rivals. A number of studies declare Apple will use Liquidmetal, which is a long-standing commerce title for a metallic glass alloy the corporate has beforehand utilized in smaller elements. Whereas also known as “liquid metallic” or “Liquid Metallic” in studies, Liquidmetal is the branding Apple has traditionally related to the fabric.
Liquidmetal is claimed to be stronger and extra proof against deformation than titanium, whereas remaining comparatively light-weight. If correct, this might assist enhance long-term sturdiness and cut back put on on the foldable show.
Leaks from Jon Prosser additionally reference a metallic plate beneath the show that works in tandem with the hinge to reduce creasing — a declare that aligns with reporting from Korean and Chinese language supply-chain sources.
Battery and different elements
Battery life is one other potential differentiator. In response to Ming-Chi Kuo and a number of Asian supply-chain studies, Apple is testing high-density battery cells within the 5,000 to five,800mAh vary.
That might make it the biggest battery ever utilized in an iPhone, and aggressive with (or bigger than) batteries in present Android foldables. The gadget can also be anticipated to make use of a future A-series chip and Apple’s in-house modem.
Worth
None of it will come low-cost, that’s for sure. Almost each report agrees that the iPhone Fold can be Apple’s most costly iPhone ever.
Estimates at present place the worth between $2,000 and $2,500 within the US. Bloomberg has stated the worth can be “no less than $2,000,” whereas different analysts have narrowed the probably vary to round $2,100 and $2,300. That positions the iPhone Fold effectively above the iPhone Professional Max and nearer to Apple’s high-end Macs and iPads.
Regardless of years of rumors, there’s nonetheless lots that is still unclear. Apple hasn’t confirmed the title “iPhone Fold,” last dimensions, software program options or how iOS would adapt to a folding kind issue. Sturdiness, repairability and long-term reliability are additionally open questions. For now, the most secure assumption is that Apple is taking its time and that many of those particulars may nonetheless change earlier than launch.
This text initially appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cell/smartphones/iphone-fold-rumors-everything-we-know-so-far-including-the-leaked-foldable-design-upgrades-price-and-more-130000217.html?src=rss