The possibility of Apple revealing a foldable iPhone has been the subject of countless rumors over the last few years, but all the tipsters agreed that we still have a long wait ahead. Now, it looks as though that may have changed, and the much-hyped Apple folding phone could land as soon as next year.
A new report suggests that Apple is accelerating the development of its first foldable, working with Taiwanese manufacturers to source components before entering production. As a mobile gaming-oriented site, we’re particularly excited about the prospect of a folding iPhone, as the form factor lends itself so well to gaming, especially in games like Honkai Star Rail and Marvel Snap. The debut foldable would need to pack a performance punch to beat out some of the entries on our guide to the best foldable phones, though, with picks like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Honor Magic V3 impressing in terms of gaming horsepower over the last few months.
The report points to Apple beginning mass production before the end of the year, and if that’s the case, then we can expect the Apple foldable to launch sometime next year. There’s no indication of when, but we’d expect to see it arrive alongside Apple’s iPhone 17 models in September, given that the brand has a pretty rigid launch schedule.
United Daily News says that the reason for this accelerated launch is the new-found popularity of foldable devices from Samsung and Huawei. Consumer interest in foldable form factors is at an all-time high, with developers and manufacturers resolving many of the early issues with these form factors. From Apple’s point of view, it’s the perfect time to swoop in and gain some of that market share, especially with the onset of Apple Intelligence in the coming months.
Of course, it’s hard to gauge how accurate these claims are, and with most other rumors claiming late 2026 or even 2027, it may not prove true. That said, the outlet’s supply chain sources offer a glimmer of hope, and it certainly feels like Apple fans have been waiting long enough for the foldable debut. Still, it should at least give game developers time to make Apple Arcade games fit for foldable displays, which could open up some opportunities for innovation. After all, look at what Nintendo did with two screens with the Nintendo DS all those years ago.
If these new reports are true, 2025 will be a big year for Apple. We’ve already reported on rumors of the tech giant introducing the iPhone 17 Slim, and alongside the foldable, it could be the biggest shakeup to the iPhone lineup in quite some time. Still, if you can’t wait until late next year for a new phone to play your favorite mobile games, our guides to the best gaming iPhones and the best gaming phones can help you find something worth picking up today.