Apple has been rumored for a long time to be developing a foldable smartphone. A recent report from the Information states that the company plans to launch foldable smartphones, similar to the Galaxy Z Flip series, in 2026. Here’s what we know about Apple’s foldable smartphone, which is reportedly codenamed “V68” within the company.

First, let’s take a quick look at the history of foldable smartphones. In October 2018, the Chinese startup Royole debuted its FlexPai foldable smartphone at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. This made it the first company to launch a foldable smartphone, ahead of Samsung, which showcased its Infinity Flex Display the following month.

Sales of Foldable Smartphones Are Growing at a Fast Pace

While overall smartphone sales have been stagnant, shipments of foldable phones are growing at a brisk pace and rose 49% YoY in Q1 2024, according to data from Counterpoint Research. This was its highest growth rate in six quarters and the growth looks even more astonishing considering the double-digit decline in iPhone shipments during the quarter.

foldable market share

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The top slot was held by Huawei which accounted for 35% of the foldable smartphone market. The Chinese company’s market share in the market was a mere 14% in Q1 2023 and it gained market share at Samsung’s cost whose share fell from 58% to 23% over the period.

Huawei’s market share gains were led by soaring sales of the Mate X5 which is its first 5G book-type foldable and has been one of the bestselling models in China’s foldable smartphone market for three straight quarters. In March, Huawei launched its first 5G clamshell model, Pocket 2, which also helped propel its deliveries. The company’s attractively priced models are giving Apple a tough fight in China.

When Will Apple Launch Its Foldable Phone

To be sure, Apple hasn’t officially said anything about the foldable phone. But then, the Tim Cook-led company is quite secretive about new projects – pretty much like most other tech companies. For instance, it was long rumored that they had been working on an electric car, which was codenamed “Project Titan.” However, earlier this year, reports said that the company had scrapped the project after burning billions of dollars.

Meanwhile, reports of Apple working on foldable phones have been around since 2019 when Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, said that the company would launch them by 2025. In 2021, Bloomberg said that Apple had done “early work” on foldable iPhones.

Earlier this year, there were reports that Apple built two prototypes of foldable iPhones. In fact, Apple made its first patent for a foldable phone way back in 2016. However, as things stand today these are mere speculations but we can be reasonably certain that sooner than later Apple would launch a foldable smartphone given how fast that market is growing.

What Do We Know About Apple’s Foldable iPhone?

According to The Information, the internal name for Apple’s foldable phone suggests that “the idea has moved beyond the conceptual stage” and is now “in development with suppliers.” Reportedly, Apple has been facing troubles with flattening the creases that appear when the phone is unfolded and has yet to address the issue.

Separately, the DigiTimes also reported on the rumored Apple foldable phone. The report said that the dimensions of the foldable iPhones would be similar to the existing models and it has already signed a panel supply contract with Samsung Display.

The report said, “Initially, it was speculated that Apple would first launch a foldable iPad to gauge market reaction and accumulate sales experience before introducing the technology to its primary product, the iPhone.”

However, it added, “due to challenges encountered in the Chinese smartphone market, Apple has reportedly adjusted its plans and may introduce the iPhone as its first foldable product.”

Apple has arguably been quite late in launching a foldable phone even as Samsung and Chinese competitors have raced ahead. However, it might still not be too late, especially as rival Samsung’s foldable models have not been a hit of late.

Samsung’s Latest Fold and Flip Models Have Received Mixed Reviews

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 and Galaxy Z Flip6 have received mixed reviews and The Wired has rated them 7/10 saying, “Six years on, these super-refined folding phones feel like they’re losing their edge.”

CNET gave it 8.4/10 but said the product is “complicated to recommend.” While the Flip6 comes with a matte finish and boasts of a new camera, the $1,100 starting price and cover screen were cited as a negative point by CNET.

The model comes with a larger 4,000-mAh battery, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, and 12GB of RAM. It also has artificial intelligence (AI) features – something that Apple would also add to its upcoming iPhone.

The popular tech YouTuber JerryRigEverything made a great video unboxing and durability testing a Samsung Z Flip 6 if you’re interested in learning more about the phone.

Apple Is Adding AI Features to the Next iPhone

The iPhone maker announced a handful of new features including what it calls “Apple intelligence” at the Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in June. Apple Intelligence would add tons of features to its devices. For instance, it would come with writing improvement features that would help with writing emails and other documents and have a proofread and rewrite feature. Apple will also add summaries in emails and have a smart reply option.

Apple Intelligence can create generative photos based on a user’s phone gallery and would have three styles; Illustration, Sketch, and Animation. The company has also partnered with OpenAI and device users would have the option to tap into ChatGPT while using Siri.

The upcoming AI-enabled iPhone and the rumored foldable phone would be crucial for Apple to compete in an increasingly competitive smartphone market – especially in China.