June 19, 2025, 1:06 pm | Read time: 2 minutes
Without an official announcement, the launch date for the upcoming iPhone Fold remains speculative. However, Apple apparently plans to begin mass production next year, aiming for a release in fall 2026.
The well-known industry insider Ming-Chi Kuo has provided an update on the planned production schedule for the iPhone Fold. As TECHBOOK previously reported, manufacturing is scheduled for 2026. However, pre-production at Apple’s Chinese assembly partner Foxconn is expected to begin in the second half of 2025.
Project Start in the Third or Fourth Quarter of 2025
This information comes from a post Kuo published on X (formerly Twitter). According to him, the project is expected to officially start at the end of the third quarter of 2025 or the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2025. Apple is likely to finalize the specifications for the iPhone Fold in the current quarter, clearing the way for the production of initial test units.
Read more: iPhone Fold – When Will the Foldable Apple Smartphone Arrive?
So far, according to Kuo, the status of several device components remains uncertain, including the folding hinge–one of the most complex components in a foldable. The display, however, has been finalized. Samsung Display is tasked with production and plans a manufacturing capacity of 7 to 8 million screen panels for 2026. This is unlikely to meet the expected demand, so further production runs are likely in 2027.
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No High Demand Expected for iPhone Fold
Apple is said to have ordered between 15 and 20 million iPhone Fold units, according to Kuo, citing market rumors. This far exceeds the targeted display production. However, the ordered units are expected to meet demand over a period of two to three years. Apple itself does not anticipate that the device, expected to cost around 2,000 euros, will be a bestseller. For comparison, after the launch of the iPhone 16, the company was able to sell nearly 77 million units in the fourth quarter of 2024 alone (Source: Statista).
Foldables continue to make up a relatively small portion of the global smartphone market. Statista expects sales numbers to increase to 27.6 million units in 2025–a slight increase from the previous year (25 million units). By 2027, the number could rise to up to 48.1 million, with the iPhone Fold likely accounting for the majority.