Rumors about a foldable iPhone are back again, with analyst Jeff Pu suggesting Apple’s long-rumored foldable iPhone and iPad have now entered the early stages of product testing – but will Apple ever really take the leap?
According to Pu, mass production of Apple’s foldable devices could begin in the second half of 2026, leading to a release later that year or sometime in 2027. Previous reports from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (responsible for the mockup below) state that the foldable iPhone could feature an almost 8-inch inner screen plus a 5.5-inch outer screen to show notification summaries and the like. There have also been suggestions of a huge 19-inch foldable iPad in the works.
Folding phones, while intriguing, remain a niche product. Devices like Samsung’s Galaxy Fold or Motorola’s Razr offer a strange blend of novelty, convenience, and performance – but they haven’t exactly set the smartphone market alight. There are many reasons we’re not particularly excited to see a folding iPhone, but Apple entering this space would undoubtedly shake things up, and historically the company prefers to watch trends mature from the sidelines before stepping in with a more refined take.
Despite these latest predictions, it’s worth approaching the rumors with caution. Speculation about folding Apple devices has persisted for years, fueled by periodic leaks and analyst insights, but it’s hard to avoid the truth that we’ve been reporting on similar rumors for years with nothing to show for it. Even trusted analysts like Kuo completely missed the mark with predictions that confidently stated we’d have folding Apple devices by specific dates that have long passed. Of course there’s often no smoke without fire, but we’ll believe this particular report when we see it on stage with Tim Cook.