If industry reports are anything to go by, Samsung walked so Apple could run in the foldable phone market. With the emerging form factor solidifying, Apple’s vision of a foldable iPhone is starting to look clearer.
In Mark Gurman’s latest column for Bloomberg, the Apple insider reported that Samsung’s success in iterating on its folding phone designs has paved the way for its long-time competitor to join the race. By all reports, the recently announced Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is already out-selling its predecessor off the back of a much thinner design.
Gurman claimed that Apple’s foldable iPhone, expected to launch in 2026, won’t reinvent the wheel. It’ll even use foldable OLED screen technology from Samsung itself.
However, Apple plans to perfect the folding design with an improved hinge while trying to make the crease on the main display far less visible. Apple is also said to start work on iOS 27 soon, which will include foldable-specific software features.
Samsung’s growing foldable momentum is only one contributing factor to Apple’s plans. China is arguably the biggest reason; many of the region’s popular brands have foldable phones that are proving increasingly popular. If there’s a market overseas that companies want a slice of, it’s China.
Previous folding iPhone reports suggested that Apple will enter production by the end of this year to prepare for next year’s launch. Some analysts have speculated that the device will have a 7.8-inch main display and a 5.5-inch external screen. However, considering recent foldable phones have gone even bigger, those specs might already be out of date.
Joining the anticipation of next year’s foldable iPhone, Apple is widely expected to launch a slimmer iPhone 17 “Air” this year, competing with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge. Gurman also tipped an M5 iPad Pro arriving as soon as October this year.
