Apple is making a foldable iPhone. That sentence would have seemed like a stretch just a few years ago. But in 2026, it is becoming a reality. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman recently described it as “the most significant overhaul in the iPhone’s history” — stronger praise than anything he has said about any iPhone since the original.
So, what do we actually know? Here is a full breakdown of every confirmed detail about the Apple foldable iPhone.
Design: What It Will Look Like
The foldable iPhone will use a book-style design. This is similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series. You will have two screens — an outer display and a larger inner display that unfolds when you open the device.
Here are the display specs that have been reported:
- Inner display — approximately 7.8 inches, similar in size to the iPad mini
- Outer display — approximately 5.5 inches, competitive with standard iPhones
One area where Apple is reportedly targeting a major improvement over competitors is the crease. Samsung and Google’s foldables both have a visible crease down the middle of the inner display. Apple is said to be working on a crease-less screen design. If it delivers on that, it will be a genuine engineering breakthrough.
The hinge itself is reportedly using chip-level polymer printing 3D technology — a new manufacturing approach that allows for a thinner, more durable fold mechanism.
Performance and Battery
Apple will not cut corners on the internals. The foldable iPhone is expected to use the same A20 Pro chip as the iPhone 18 Pro. That means top-tier performance across the board.
The battery is expected to be around 5,400 mAh. That is significantly larger than current iPhone batteries. With two displays to power, a bigger battery is essential.
Software: iOS 27 Will Power It
The foldable iPhone will launch with iOS 27. Apple is building specific features into iOS 27 to take advantage of the larger inner display. These include side-by-side app multitasking and split-screen windows — features that iPhones have never had before.
You can read more about what iOS 27 is expected to offer at WWDC 2026 for both the standard iPhone and the Fold.
Price and Release Date
This is where things get interesting. The foldable iPhone is expected to cost around $2,400. That makes it one of the most expensive Apple products ever sold.
In terms of timing, Apple is reportedly planning to launch the foldable iPhone a few months after the iPhone 18 Pro. So, while the iPhone 18 Pro arrives in September 2026, the Fold may not hit shelves until late 2026 or early 2027.
How Does It Compare to the Competition?
Samsung has been making foldable phones since 2019. Google entered the market with the Pixel Fold. Apple is late to this category — but that is intentional.
Apple tends to wait until it can do something better, rather than being first. If the crease-less display and refined hinge deliver on the promises, the Apple foldable iPhone could instantly become the best foldable phone on the market.
It is also worth remembering that the iPhone 18 Pro is getting a ton of upgrades at the same time. So 2026 is shaping up to be Apple’s most ambitious hardware year in over a decade.
Is It Worth Waiting For?
If you are considering a foldable phone right now, it is worth waiting to see what Apple delivers. The $2,400 price tag is steep, but Apple’s track record suggests it will be a polished product when it eventually arrives.
We will know a lot more after WWDC 2026 in June, when Apple is expected to show off the software features that will power the Fold.
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