In the latest chapter of the ongoing saga, the iPhone Fold is now rumored to be entering mass production in 2026, with pre-production steps starting in late 2025.
The process to design and manufacture an iPhone is phenomenally long, and it appears to be the same for the iPhone Fold. According to one analyst, it could take close to a year for the manufacturing process to be finalized.
In a Wednesday X post by Ming-Chi Kuo of TF Securities, Foxconn will be kicking off a project to produce Apple's first foldable smartphone in late Q3 or early Q4 of 2025. This puts the start of the project at around the time the iPhone 17 will hit store shelves.
However, the actual design of the iPhone Fold that will be produced is still uncertain. Kuo says that many specifications of components, including the all-important hinge mechanism, have "yet to be finalized."
The folding display has been finalized, though, with Kuo saying Samsung Display is preparing to manufacture between 7 and 8 million foldable panels for the iPhone Fold.
