Questionable iPhone Fold rumor pushes release into early 2027

A questionable rumor source claims Apple's iPhone Fold could arrive in 2027, adding more fuel to allegations that the hinged smartphone has been delayed further into the future.

Recent reports paved the way for the iPhone Fold to finally be released in 2026. Now, another report claims the highly rumored smartphone won't be shipping until 2027.

A March 18 report from AlphaBiz cites an unidentified senior official familiar with Apple's internal affairs. That source insists that plans for a release of the model in the fourth quarter of 2026 has been pushed back to the first quarter of 2027.

No actual reason for the further delay is offered by the source, but it was a decision made after making "full preparations" for manufacturing, including establishing the supply and demand of foldable displays.

AlphaBiz doesn't rate too highly as a rumor source, with fairly poor track record when it comes to Apple-related claims, though it does better for Android hardware.

In this instance, the report follows the reverse story from the same publication from February 20, where it again cited an official in claiming the iPhone Fold's release date had been moved from early 2027 to September 2026. At the time, it was claimed that "core personnel" behind the Apple Vision Pro had been moved to the folding iPhone development team.

On March 15, a market researcher told the Korea Display Conference that Apple will bring out its foldable iPhone models starting from 2026. Another from February 7 proposed that an iPhone Fold wouldn't appear in 2024 or 2025, leaving 2026 as the earliest opportunity for its arrival.

The answer may be right, but not because the site that's reporting it has any particular insight or accuracy.

The iPhone Fold may not even be the first Apple device to use a foldable display. A February 22 supply chain rumor said that the first hardware could end up being an iPad or a MacBook Pro.