Malcolm Owen
Another analyst has forecasted that Apple will be launching foldable devices in 2026, with the claim that Apple plans for two items to launch that year.
Rumors have been circulating about Apple's fabled flexible smartphone, the iPhone Fold, with the rumor mill believing in a 2026 launch for the hardware. Now, an analyst has doubled down on the release timing, but that something else will go on sale too.
According to Haitong Securities analyst Jeff Pu, via BGR, Apple will be bringing out foldable devices in 2026. This matches other rumors about the iPhone Fold timeline, but with the added wrinkle that it won't be alone.
Pu offers that Apple could go down the route of providing a foldable iPad alongside the iPhone Fold, in the second half of 2026. While it could've arrived earlier, Pu believes that display durability issues has caused delays in its development and release.
The folding iPad has been rumored almost as equally as the iPhone Fold, with it offering basically the same concept but in a larger form. In February, it was rumored that it could be a 7-inch or 8-inch device and usable as a replacement for the iPad mini.
There have also been hints that larger foldable screens as big as 20 inches are also in development.
At the same time as discussing flexible devices, Pu also brings up the prospect of the iPhone 17 Slim, a thinner version of the iPhone that could replace the Plus model. The model is thought to help drive sales for the 2025 generation of devices, on top of Apple Intelligence developments.
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18 Comments
Maybe I’m in the way minority, but a foldable iPhone is a stupid idea. My sister has the Samsung and it’s such an ugly form-factor plus the crease is terrible. The screen is so scratched. What she likes best, is the small lcd on the outside.
While I have no interest in folding tech, I’ve come up with a brilliant marketing strategy. Apple calls the foldable the iPhone 17.5.
What kind of case will these phones need? A pouch? If so, first you have to take it out of pouch and then flip it open? Who wants to be bothered with that? lol. Or, will this might new form factor already have the phone with some kind of case material as part of it?