A foldable iPhone could be a step closer with rumours Apple has chosen a supplier for the next-generation foldable displays required for the device which could land as soon as 2026.
According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo writing a post on Medium, the folding iPhone is in the planning stage.
Apple could enter mass production as soon as the second half of 2025 to achieve the rumoured 2026 release.
Industry insiders are saying a foldable iPhone would have a clamshell design like a flip phone – basically an iPhone that folds in half.
There are no indications to suggest Apple is planning a foldable device that would turn the iPhone into a tablet like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold.
The foldable iPhone would not have a SIM card tray and will be eSIM only.
Another rumoured device – the super slim iPhone Air – will also be eSIM only because its svelte dimensions would not have room for a SIM card tray.
But the foldable iPhone and iPhone Air will need to give up or compromise some features to achieve their unique designs.

We suspect the cameras would be a notch or two below the Pro level iPhones and battery capacity would be lower.
The Wall Street Journal reported Apple may also be working on a larger foldable device including its largest ever MacBook with a foldable 19-inch display.
The same report also said Apple was having difficulty with foldable screen’s hinge and protective layer.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman – a reliable source of Apple rumours – says Apple has plans for a giant foldable iPad that could launch by 2028.

Samsung has had six generations of foldable devices and other companies like Oppo, Motorola and Google have also entered the foldable phone market.
But sales for these products only make up less than 2 per cent of worldwide smartphone sales according to a report from TrendForce.