Apple may delay its foldable iPhone to 2027 as a result of it could possibly’t determine on the hinge

For those who’ve marked 2026 because the yr Apple will lastly launch its extremely anticipated foldable iPhone in your calendar, you might have to cross it out. A latest report means that the launch could possibly be delayed.

In accordance with The Elec, citing a report from Japan’s Mizuho Securities, the discharge of Apple’s first foldable iPhone may be pushed again to 2027, on account of Apple taking longer to finalize sure design parts of the cellphone, such because the hinge and different “key specs.” Since Apple remains to be mulling over the ultimate design decisions for the cellphone, the report signifies that this might hinder mass manufacturing of sufficient models in time for a possible fall 2026 launch alongside the iPhone 18 series.

Nevertheless, it is essential to notice {that a} delay till 2027 is just not sure. The identical report additionally states {that a} 2026 launch stays potential, however that manufacturing could be restricted to solely 5 to seven million models worldwide.

The iPhone 18 may not come out till 2027

The foldable iPhone could possibly be smaller than the Galaxy Z Fold 7

It is not simply the foldable iPhone that may not come out till 2027, but in addition the iPhone 18. In its report, Japan’s Mizuho Securities corroborates reports we noticed earlier this yr about Apple presumably splitting the launch of the iPhone 18 collection in half.

What does this imply precisely? It is rumored Apple might be releasing the iPhone 18 within the spring of 2027, alongside the iPhone 18e, with the iPhone 18 Professional, iPhone 18 Professional Max, and the iPhone Air 2 being launched within the fall of 2026.

I would not contemplate this a delay of the iPhone 18, essentially, however reasonably a brand new technique Apple could possibly be taking with the launch of recent iPhone fashions.

So it appears the foldable iPhone may presumably come out with the iPhone 18 Professional within the fall of 2026, or on account of points with mass manufacturing, land in 2027 with the bottom iPhone 18.

As for what the foldable iPhone has in retailer, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported earlier this yr that it’ll provide a “related design” to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the book-style foldable Samsung launched earlier this yr. Gurman additionally stated that he does not anticipate the foldable iPhone to “revolutionize the class,” which implies the expertise behind the foldable iPhone may not deviate an excessive amount of from foldable telephones we have already seen, such because the Fold 7 or the Pixel 10 Professional Fold.

Again in March, Apple supply-chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that the foldable iPhone may have roughly a 7.8-inch interior show and a 5.8-inch outer show, with a price ticket ranging anyplace from $2,000 to $2,500.

If these specs change into correct, that truly makes the first-generation foldable iPhone smaller than Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7, which has an 8-inch interior show and a a lot bigger 6.5-inch outer show. One other attention-grabbing factor to notice is that by the point Apple lastly releases the cellphone as effectively, Samsung will in all probability have already got its next-generation Fold cellphone out, presumably the Fold 8, because it often releases its new foldables in the summertime.

Personally, it nonetheless boggles my thoughts that Apple hasn’t launched a foldable iPhone but, given how Samsung has been within the recreation now for half a decade, and Google is now on its third-generation foldable, with the latest launch of the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Hopefully, Apple can work out what hinge to make use of quickly, in order that the foldable iPhone can really be launched sooner reasonably than later in 2026, however with Apple’s indecision, it appears it may very simply slip into 2027.