Apple supplier Foxconn is expected to officially start producing Apple's foldable iPhone late in the third quarter of 2025 (late September), or early in the fourth quarter (October), Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today. Apple plans to launch the device in the fall of 2026 as part of the iPhone 18 lineup.
Though the September/October 2025 timeline is fast approaching, Kuo says that many component specifications have not yet been finalized. What is finished, though, is the foldable display, which will be produced by Samsung Display.
Rumors suggest that the foldable iPhone will feature a display that's around 5.5 inches when closed, and 7.8 inches when opened up. It will fold in half like a book, similar to the Galaxy Fold devices, rather than the Galaxy Flip.
The foldable iPhone could be as thin as 4.5mm when unfolded, and 9 to 9.5mm when it's closed, which would make it incredibly thin when used in its full-screen mode. Apple put considerable effort into hinge design, and the device is expected to have almost no visible crease. It will use under-display cameras, though it may feature some kind of Touch ID authentication feature rather than Face ID due to space constraints. It will, of course, be expensive. In the past, Kuo has said he expects Apple to price the foldable iPhone at $2,000 to $2,500, and that was before Apple was facing steep tariffs in China.
Kuo expects that Samsung Display will produce around seven to eight million foldable panels for the foldable iPhone in 2026, with Apple placing an order for 15 to 20 million total foldable iPhones. Kuo suspects that the 15 to 20 million foldable devices will last Apple two to three years, with demand somewhat limited due to the cost of the smartphone.
Right now, rumors suggest that Apple is aiming for a fall 2026 launch, but Kuo warns that Apple's plans "remain subject to change" prior to when the project officially reaches the production stage.
