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Rumor making: Reports that Apple was working on a foldable iPhone or iPad date back to 2017. While competitors have released multiple versions of foldable devices, Apple has not acknowledged that it is even considering such a device, other than through patents. According to the latest reports, this foldable model won’t arrive until 2027.
Apple has reportedly postponed the release of its much-rumored foldable iPhone yet again. An unnamed Apple “senior official” told South Korean news outlet AlphaBiz that the company has postponed the launch of its foldable device from the fourth quarter of 2026 to the first quarter of 2027.
Meanwhile, Apple has told its supply chain to continue producing parts as previously scheduled. Therefore, it seems that the delay is related to the launch of the device, rather than an issue with the assembly of the foldable device. In fact, Cupertino moved some engineers from the Vision Pro team to develop the foldable.
However, take this news with a grain of salt. Since Supply Chain works directly with Apple, it tends to be a reliable source of information, but this is just the latest in a long line of “coming soon” rumors.
In 2020, a supply chain leak reported that Apple was already testing a foldable iPhone prototype for release by 2022, but that never happened. In 2021, acclaimed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that an 8-inch QHD foldable product would arrive in 2023, but that plan failed. Min said last year that a foldable iPad would be released this year. According to this leak, that prediction doesn’t seem to come true either.
As such, rumors, expectations, and delays are littered with them. Additionally, Q1 2027 is still nearly three years away. Literally anything could happen between now and then, including Apple abandoning the project entirely.
At this point, it looks like the display is the only thing holding the device back (probably the hinge). Cupertino is likely planning to source its foldable displays from Samsung or LG. Officials said in February that Apple had two working clamshell prototypes, but had issues with wrinkled screens.
Flexible displays are still in their infancy, and newer devices have issues with warping and wrinkling, which is unacceptable to Apple. If engineers cannot find a solution that completely eliminates the screen defect, the project may be postponed indefinitely.
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