In his latest “Power On” newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reiterates his previous position that Apple will release a foldable iPhone in 2026.
“I’ve been pretty vocal about my admiration of Samsung Electronics Co.’s Z Fold, a standard-sized smartphone that can open up into a small tablet. It’s a dream device for handling work tasks and watching video, and it’s a category that Apple can’t ignore,” Gurman writes. “I expect the company to launch its own foldable phone next year with a similar design to the Samsung device. I also expect the product to make use of many of the same technologies as the upcoming iPhone 17 ‘Air’.”
He adds that though the product will probably be around $2,000, this has the markings of a big hit for Apple.
“It may take a while for volumes to ramp up (I wouldn’t expect it to spur the “super cycle” of upgrades that Wall Street is always hoping for), but the price will give an outsized boost to sales,” Gurman says. “And it should be a win for consumers, who have been pressing Apple to finally jump into this category.”
This info from Gurman is from the free edition of “Power On”. If you like it, consider subscribing to Bloomberg.com—you’ll receive the newsletter earlier and get exclusive access to a Q&A section.
And here’s what analyst Ming-Chi Kuo Kuo expects to see as the hardware specs in an “iPhone Fold”:
° Touch ID returns as a side button, as Face ID may be absent due to thickness and internal space constraints.
° The foldable iPhone will have a book-style design, featuring an approximately 7.8-inch crease-free inner display and an approximately 5.5-inch outer display.
° The rear camera features a dual-lens setup, with one front-facing camera available in both folded and unfolded states.
° It will measure 9–9.5mm thick when folded and 4.5–4.8mm when unfolded.
° The hinge will combine stainless steel and titanium alloy, while the casing opts for titanium alloy.
° It will use the same high-density battery cells as the ultra-thin iPhone 17.
