Summary:
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Apple’s first foldable iPhone set for September release despite recent concerns, alongside iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.
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Engineers confident in solving screen quality and durability issues, gearing up for landmark product launch.
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Expected to feature 7.7-inch inner display, may start at $1,999, part of Apple’s multi-year iPhone redesign strategy.
Apple’s first foldable iPhone is still on schedule for a September release, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported April 7, pushing back against a report that had briefly rattled markets and raised questions about the device’s timeline.
The company is scheduled to introduce the foldable model in September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, according to people familiar with the plans who asked not to be identified because they have not been announced publicly.
The report came hours after Nikkei Asia published a story suggesting the opposite. Apple shares fell as much as 5.1% after the news outlet said the company was facing challenges in the engineering test phase of the phone. Gurman’s reporting directly contradicted those claims.
While the complexity of the new display and materials may limit initial supply for several weeks, Apple is currently operating with a plan to put the device on sale around the same time or very soon after the new non-foldable models.
Apple engineers believe they’ve solved problems with screen quality and overall durability, two long-running flaws with phones in this category, including making the display’s crease less visible when it’s unfolded.
The foldable iPhone is shaping up to be a landmark product for Apple. Gurman has described it as “the most significant overhaul in the iPhone’s history,” comparing its cultural weight to the iPhone 4, iPhone 6, and iPhone X.
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Like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7, the foldable iPhone will reportedly open like a book, providing users with a large inner screen for watching videos, playing games, and multitasking. iOS 27 is expected to include changes exclusive to the foldable, including side-by-side apps and other iPadOS-like multitasking functionality.
The foldable iPhone is expected to feature a 7.7-inch inner display and a 5.3-inch outer display. Earlier reports suggested the device would arrive with a virtually crease-free screen, but that has since been walked back. It will use a dual-layer, ultra-thin glass structure to reduce display crease visibility rather than eliminate it entirely.
On price, the foldable iPhone may start at or above $1,999 in the U.S., with configurations potentially reaching close to $3,000 at maximum storage.
The foldable is part of a broader multi-year strategy. Apple is in the middle of a three-year plan to reinvent the look and feel of the iPhone, with a more substantial redesign expected in 2027 to mark the device’s 20th anniversary.
