Despite some initial confusion based on inaccurate machine translations, a new report from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that Apple is working on a foldable iPhone but is still in the "planning stages." This aligns with a rumor from November that claimed Apple had entered the "formal development process" for the new form factor.
This means that we likely won't see an iPhone Flip until 2026 or 2027, as has been previously rumored.
Kuo notes that the iPhone Flip and the iPhone 17 Air, which should be released this year, will likely only have eSim (digital SIM cards) because of their "ultra-thin" design. He says that with China banning eSim phones, "these two models could face shipping momentum challenges unless their design is modified."
Kuo did not estimate when Apple might release the iPhone Flip.
Other Apple predictions
Kuo provided information about other Apple iPhone products outside of the iPhone Flip.
He says that Apple is being cautious in 2025 for a variety of reasons, including the Trump tariffs, which appear as though they will be even more stringent than the ones the first Trump administration introduced in 2019.
Additionally, Kuo claims that new iPhone shipments are "projected to decline" and that the iPhone 17 Air likely won't boost iPhone sales this year.
Lastly, Kuo believes that Apple will struggle with its AI approach in Apple Intelligence. He attributes this to Apple's insistence on making on-device AI work while cloud-based services like ChatGPT have "advanced rapidly."
Kuo is not "bearish" on the long-term prospects of Apple Intelligence, saying that it won't benefit hardware replacement cycles or services. Some of this is blamed on Apple stating they likely won't charge or create a subscription service to generate revenue but also that according to a one linked survey, customers have shown that they aren't interested in AI or Apple Intelligence.
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