In recent years, everyone in the tech industry has been asking the same question. When will Apple launch a foldable iPhone? With Samsung adopting the alternative form factor back in 2019 and fellow Android brands like Google Pixel and OnePlus following suit in the years after, it feels like the natural conclusion. Well, we’ve looked into all the rumors, leaks, and industry whispers, and we’ve got a few ideas about what Apple might have up its sleeve in the future.
To cut a long story short, it seems likely that we’ll see Apple release a foldable iPhone before the end of the decade. A flurry of rumors from earlier in 2024 suggested the brand was aiming for a 2026 or 2027 launch. However, a newer report from just last month suggested Apple is currently sourcing parts and finalizing designs for its first folding iPhone, so you could be playing the best Apple Arcade games on a bigger display before the end of 2025.
Either way, the general consensus seems to point to a foldable iPhone in the pipeline. That’s no surprise, as all the research data suggests the form factor is becoming more popular. According to a report from TrendForce, folding phones currently make up around 1.5% of the market, but there’s the expectation that the number could be as high as 5% by the end of 2025. Apple isn’t one to pass up a piece of the pie, so it only makes sense that it limps in with its own foldable, be it book-style or clamshell, before long
When it arrives, we expect the foldable iPhone to be a real contender for our guide to the best gaming iPhones, especially if it’s book-style like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6. There’s something about that foldable form factor that lends itself to gaming, especially with games like Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail, as you’ve got a lot more screen space to see the intricacies of the details. Performance isn’t a concern either. We already know that Apple silicon delivers, as our iPhone 16 review makes clear.
It’s worth noting that while much of this speculation is based on information from reliable sources, it’s always possible that Apple’s plans could change. Despite stellar industry reception and growing sales numbers for devices like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, we’ve seen various reports that OnePlus could be giving up on the foldable form factor. We’ve had no confirmation from the Android brand itself, but it’s a possible sign that the foldable form factor still isn’t popular enough yet to drive the sort of profits the big-name cell phone manufacturers are looking for.
Not only that, but this year, Huawei introduced the first tri-fold design, and it seems that Samsung and Xiaomi have plans to follow suit. This could spell bad news for the likelihood of a foldable iPhone, as it’d potentially see Apple release a dual-display folding phone while the industry moves forward again with triple foldables. Apple is a brand that likes to lead the way, as it did with the original iPhone, and there’s the chance that some could see the Californian tech giant as arriving late to the party while other brands innovate at a faster rate.
A final sticking point could be pricing. At the time of writing, not one of 2024’s latest flagship book-style foldables is available for under $1,000. While Apple isn’t averse to releasing an expensive device – I’m looking at you, Vision Pro – it’s possible the brand is waiting for prices to come down across the industry before dipping its toe in the foldable waters. For now, it seems more like the brand is concentrating on bringing a more affordable phone to market, which we expect to see early next year with the iPhone SE 4.
So, to answer the question we laid out at the beginning of this article, we expect to see a foldable iPhone before the end of 2027, though it could be before that. That’s provided Apple’s plans don’t change, which doesn’t seem likely but is always a possibility. If you can’t wait that long, our guides to the best foldable phones and the best flip phones have plenty of options, including some more affordable devices, you can check out today.