Apple prepares to launch its first foldable iPhone model

Apple is planning to introduce a foldable iPhone, expected to be announced at a September 9, 2026 event. It would mark the most significant physical redesign of the iPhone since the original model debuted in 2007, moving from the familiar glass-slab form factor to a book-style device that opens to reveal a tablet-sized screen.

The device, tentatively referred to as the iPhone Fold or iPhone Ultra, has reportedly cleared engineering validation and trial production stages. Mass production is set to ramp up, though initial supply could be constrained by the sheer complexity of manufacturing a foldable at Apple’s quality standards.

What we know about the hardware

The foldable iPhone is expected to feature two displays. The outer screen measures roughly 5.4 to 5.5 inches, comparable to a standard iPhone. Unfold it, and you get a 7.6 to 7.8-inch flexible OLED panel, putting it squarely in mini-tablet territory.

The most impressive spec might be thickness. When unfolded, the device could measure as thin as 4.5 to 5 mm. For context, the current iPhone 16 Pro is about 8.25 mm thick.

The hinge mechanism reportedly uses either liquid metal or titanium, designed to minimize the crease that has plagued every foldable phone to date.

Prototypes of a foldable iPhone have been referenced in supply chain reports dating as far back as 2016. That’s eight years of internal development before the device reaches consumers.

The price of folding

The starting price is expected to land somewhere between $2,000 and $2,500. That places it firmly in ultra-premium territory, well above the current iPhone 16 Pro Max and even above Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold pricing.

Samsung has been making foldables since 2019 and still prices its flagship fold above $1,800. Apple entering at $2,000-plus suggests either higher component costs, fatter margins, or both.

Yield rates on flexible OLED panels have historically been lower than rigid screens, and adding a mechanical hinge introduces failure points that don’t exist in conventional phones.

Software meets the fold

Apple is pairing the foldable iPhone with iOS 27, which reportedly includes features specifically designed for the new form factor. Dynamic app resizing would allow applications to adapt seamlessly as users fold and unfold the device, transitioning between phone and tablet layouts in real time.

A feature called Device Hub has been referenced in iOS 27 code, though its exact functionality remains unclear.

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