The long-running rumours that Apple is developing a folding iPhone, gained fresh traction this week after a new report from a noted analyst.
Apple watcher Ming-Chi Kuo tweeted on Wednesday that iPhone maker “Foxconn is expected to officially kick off the project in late 3Q25 or early 4Q25…and the foldable display is one of the few components with finalised specifications and serves as a good reference for estimating potential shipments.”
Ming-Chi Kuo is an analyst for TF International Securities, and focuses on the Asian electronics supply chain and often discusses Apple products before they’re launched.
Apple Foldable iPhone Updates:
1. Assembly supplier Foxconn is expected to officially kick off the project in late 3Q25 or early 4Q25. As of now, many component specifications (including the hinge, which has drawn considerable market attention) have yet to be finalized.
2. The… https://t.co/KsGu49JXkP
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) June 18, 2025
Foldable iPhone
Ming-Chi Kuo also added that “Apple’s foldable iPhone, expected to enter mass production in 2H26, may ship several million units annually in both 2027 and 2028, possibly due to its premium pricing.”
In his post, Ming-Chi Kuo pointed to recent market rumours that “suggest Apple has placed an order for 15–20 million foldable iPhones.”
He also noted that with Foxconn’s starting the project in Q3 or Q4 2025, “Samsung Display (SDC) plans to build annual production capacity for 7-8 million foldable panels to supply the 2026 foldable iPhone.”
But in his post, Ming-Chi Kuo also noted that components haven’t been finalised, including the device’s hinge.
He also cautioned that “all plans remain subject to change prior to the official project kickoff.”
The Apple iPhone still remains the main cash cow for the tech giant, as it makes up over half of Apple’s business and remains an incredibly profitable product, accounting for $201 billion in sales in the company’s fiscal 2024.
But since 2022, when iPhone revenue peaked, Apple has been continued to seek ways to attract new customers and convince its current customers to upgrade to more expensive devices.
Folding phone rumours
For years there have been rumours that Apple has been developing a device that would be a major departure from its traditional slab sided iPhone.
Indeed, in 2021 Ming-Chi Kuo had predicted that Apple would likely launch a foldable iPhone in 2023.
Ming-Chi Kuo and others have also predicted that Apple would launch a foldable iPad over the years.
It should be remembered that back in February 2020 Apple was actually granted a patent for a foldable device with a unique hinge mechanism, that triggered speculation the iPad maker was developing a folding iPhone handset.
Many of Apple’s smartphone rivals, including Huawei, Motorola and Samsung, have offered folding smartphones since 2019.
