The long wait for Apple’s first foldable might be coming to an end. The analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a decent track record when it comes to predicting the company’s movements, has penned a long blog post revealing his expectations for the device.
This includes a late 2026-to-early-2027 release date and a price north of $2,000.
That high price tag could be even higher, as Kuo ambiguously writes that it will be “above $2,000 and $2,500”. Still, it becomes a bit more reasonable when you learn that Apple is looking to make a book-style device that unfolds into a mini tablet, rather than a 21st-century flip phone.
Samsung’s equivalent device — the Galaxy Z Fold 6 — retails for $1,899, and the first generation was even pricier at $1,980, so reported pricing isn’t completely out of kilter, even if it’s objectively high.
Kuo believes this won’t be off-putting to Apple fans who will view it as a “must-have device” if it lives up to its potential.
Interestingly, Apple apparently views the device as a “true AI-driven phone”. The internal tablet-style screen will “enhance the AI experience”, Kuo says, suggesting that users will be able to do things like organizing travel plans with a chatbot while viewing a map at the same time.
An analyst’s iPhone Fold design predictions
The analyst also provides some hints at its design and even estimates of its dimensions. A 5.5-inch outer display will open onto a 7.8-inch internal screen, meaning its tablet form will have a slightly smaller screen than the 8.3-inch iPad mini 7. Kuo states that the internal panel will be “crease-free”, echoing a recent report that stated Apple aimed to “eliminate the crease at all costs”.
A 5.5-inch outer display will open onto a 7.8-inch internal screen, meaning its tablet form will have a slightly smaller screen than the 8.3-inch iPad mini 7.
When closed, Kuo believes the folding iPhone will measure between 9 and 9.5mm, which makes it chunkier than the 7.88mm iPhone 16 and 8.25mm iPhone 16 Pro, but not by all that much.
Of course, this is halved when the handset is opened up, and Kuo predicts a thickness of between 4.5 and 4.8mm in this state. That’s even thinner than the 5.1mm iPad Pro 2024, and comfortably beats even the most optimistic 5.44mm predictions for the upcoming iPhone 17 Air. To achieve this, it will use the “same high-density battery cells” as the upcoming thin handset, Kuo says.
But there are drawbacks to going so thin. Kuo believes the folding iPhone “may” not have Face ID built-in thanks to the design challenges involved. Instead, he’s predicting Touch ID on a side button for authentication, like on the iPad Air.
There are other interesting design insights. The casing will apparently be titanium alloy, with a hinge forged from a stainless steel and titanium alloy. It will pack a dual-lens rear camera, with “one front-facing camera available in both folded and unfolded states.”
And we've already heard that Apple is doing everything it can to eliminate the visible crease that comes with a foldable design.
iPhone Fold: coming in 2026?
While a foldable iPhone has allegedly been in the works for years, Kuo seems confident we’re finally nearing the finish line.
Final specifications are set to be locked in in the second quarter of this year, with the project officially kicking off in the third quarter.
Mass production will follow just over a year later in the fourth quarter of 2026, suggesting a release at the end of 2026 or the start of 2027. It may be in short supply to begin with, as Kuo predicts that “the complexity of the first-generation foldable iPhone will cap volume production until 2027.”
The good news is that, assuming it proves popular, it looks set to become a regular part of Apple’s lineup. Kuo states that mass production of the second-generation model will kick off in the second half of 2027.
Foldable phones (often called just "foldables") tend to improve no end between the first and second generations, as users of both Samsung and Google’s devices will know from experience, so possible shortages may not be such a bad thing.
While other foldable makers will undoubtedly see Apple as a rival, they may welcome a folding iPhone.
Such is the power of Apple’s marketing, it could be just the thing to make foldable devices finally go mainstream — especially if the folding iPhone makes similar Android-based handsets look like bargains by comparison. If you haven't yet, make sure you check out our guide to the best foldable phones you can currently buy.
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