Apple to launch premium-priced foldable iPhone in 2026 – Ming-Chi Kuo

Apple patent application illustration (USPTO)
Apple is set to launch a foldable iPhone starting in 2026, according to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The device is expected to feature a foldable display from Samsung Display, with production plans for up to 8 million panels next year. While the hinge and other components remain undecided, Kuo anticipates the folding iPhone will command premium pricing, positioning it as a high-end addition to Apple’s lineup.
Ming-Chi Kuo via X:
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1. Assembly supplier Foxconn is expected to officially kick off the project in late 3Q25 or early 4Q25. As of now, many component specifications (including the hinge, which has drawn considerable market attention) have yet to be finalized.
2. The foldable display is one of the few components with finalized specifications and serves as a good reference for estimating potential shipments. Samsung Display (SDC) plans to build annual production capacity for 7-8 million foldable panels to supply the 2026 foldable iPhone. Given that actual production in 2026 may span only a few months, panel shipments that year are likely to fall short of full capacity.
3. Recent market rumors suggest Apple has placed an order for 15–20 million foldable iPhones. Based on checks across multiple components, this volume likely reflects cumulative demand over the product’s 2–3 year lifecycle, rather than 2026 alone. This indicates that Apple’s foldable iPhone, expected to enter mass production in 2H26, may ship several million units annually in both 2027 and 2028, possibly due to its premium pricing.
4. It’s worth noting that all plans remain subject to change prior to the official project kickoff.

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MacDailyNews Take: So, we’re now only 15 months or so away from the mythical foldable iPhone, for which we’ve been happily waiting quite a while:
As with fingerprint and facial recognition, when Apple debuts a foldable iPhone, then foldable smartphones will have been done right. — MacDailyNews, January 17, 2019
We’ll happily wait for the day when foldable displays can be manufactured in the massive quantities required for a real iPhone, thanks. – MacDailyNews, February 20, 2019

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