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Report: Foldable iPhone to launch ‘next year’, utilizing technologies from iPhone 17 Air

Avatar for Michael Burkhardt  | Mar 23 2025 - 6:02 am PT
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A small but crucial detail provides a clue on iPhone Fold pricing | Render shown

Today, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman corroborated that Apple will launch a foldable iPhone in 2026. Many outlets had previously reported that Apple was working on such a launch. According to Gurman, the product will be similar in design to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold, rather than a clamshell folding device.

Gurman reports that this new Apple foldable will utilize many of the same technologies as the upcoming ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air. That’s going to be one of the thinnest Apple products ever, and certainly the thinnest iPhone ever – coming in at just 5.5mm.

The iPhone 17 Air have a number of compromises, including the speakers and cameras, but other than that, you’ll be getting the full iPhone experience. It’ll even have a good amount of battery life. This phone, in a way, serves as a thought exercise for fitting as many components as possible in such a thin device – something that’ll be critical for developing a folding phone.

Top comment by Say what?!?

Liked by 7 people

Ahh, now it’s starting to make sense. They are looking to make a phablet version rather than clamshell, or possibly both, and the 17 air is a dry run of the new body design.

This will allow them to make a full size foldable that is considerably thinner than their competitors.

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We don’t have a ton of specifics on the upcoming Apple fold, though Gurman believes it’ll be priced around $2000. He also adds that it’ll take a while for production volumes to ramp up, so availability may be sparse at first.

If everything goes according to plan, this foldable iPhone should be part of the iPhone 18 lineup. Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously reported that the foldable iPhone will have a 5.5-inch outer display, alongside a 7.8-inch inner display – similar to an iPad mini.

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Avatar for Michael Burkhardt Michael Burkhardt

Michael is a 9to5Mac Reporter, leading all of our Apple news coverage on weekends and reviewing the newest Apple products and accessories. He got started in the world of Apple news during the pandemic, and it became a growing hobby. He’s also an indie iOS developer, and started the weekly Indie App Spotlight series, which has covered hundreds of blooming new apps since it launched. In his free time, he enjoys shooting street photography around New York City on his Sony A7RV.

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