Here’s why you may have to wait until 2027 to get an iPhone Fold

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently made a rare appearance on the MacroMicro podcast, where he shared some new information regarding the iPhone Fold’s production timeline. Here are the details.

’From the company’s perspective, this product must be launched next year’

Following his appearance on the MacroMicro podcast, Kuo published a note where he expanded on multiple subjects from the interview. That included Google’s recent success with Gemini 3, debates over an AI bubble, and, of course, Apple.

One of the most striking points he made was regarding what he knows about the current state of the iPhone Fold’s development.

According to him:

Development of the foldable iPhone is behind earlier expectations, but the product is still expected to announce in 2H26. Due to early-stage yield and ramp-up challenges, smooth shipments may not occur until 2027. With limited supply and expected strong demand, the foldable iPhone could be facing shortages until at least the end of 2026.

On the podcast, as he discussed this extended timeline, he said:

So I judge that next year’s foldable phone may be similar to the iPhone X model. It will be announced simultaneously, but sales or mass production will be relatively late. Users may only actually get the product toward the end of the year, or even the following year.

Kuo also said that Apple sees the iPhone Fold as a device that it needs to launch next year, “even if the volume is small,” since foldables could be the next major smartphone evolution “before smart glasses with displays can replace” them.

He also mentioned that despite a reported expectation that Apple is estimating shipments between 8 and 10 million units next year, “shipment estimations will likely be revised”:

“I’ve talked with many clients, and some of them estimate even lower volumes. (…) Considering the difficulty of ramping up production, and the fact that specifications may only be finalized toward the end of the year, shipment estimates will likely be revised”.

If you speak Chinese, you can listen to his interview here. If not, you can find his expanded remarks here.

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