Apple's foldable iPhone detailed in a massive new leak - start saving now, seriously

Apple's foldable iPhone details leak: expensive, sleek, and definitely coming for Samsung's crown

Foldables have not become mainstream just yet, and it seems the market needs Apple to join the game. Plenty of rumors have been swirling around the internet recently about Apple's first foldable iPhone. Now, reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is ready to spill the beans on what we may expect from the first foldable iPhone.

Ming-Chi Kuo's post details quite a lot of juicy info about the upcoming foldable iPhone, corroborating some earlier rumors and giving us new info.

The foldable iPhone will likely be one expensive device

First off, let's start with the price tag. As was somewhat expected (we all know Apple) this may not be a cheap iPhone, actually, far from it. The analyst claims the first foldable iPhone may retail above $2,000 and $2,500, which would make it notably more expensive than the Galaxy Z Fold 6 (or 7).

Kuo expects this ultra-expensive bad boy to generate quite a lot of demand from Apple's loyal fanbase, curiously, despite the exquisite price tag. That is, if the device "meets expectations", as Kuo puts it.

Kuo also claims this foldable iPhone may be a "True AI-driven iPhone". Apple Intelligence is not yet what was promised initially, but according to Kuo, it may get supercharged with the foldable Apple device.

He claims we can expect multimodal functionality and cross-app integration. Also, he suggests that larger screens enhance the AI experiences, giving an example of chatting with AI about travel plans while visualizing a full map at the same time.

Touch ID, ultra-slim, and titanium frame on the foldable iPhone

According to Kuo's post, Touch ID may be the authentication method on this foldable beast, as Face ID may not be appropriate due to thickness and internal space constraints with the design. But before you frown at me, don't worry - Touch ID may be there as a side button, not with a dated iPhone SE-esque design.

Kuo also reiterates that the first foldable iPhone may have a book-style design, and corroborates previous estimations of a 7.8-inch inner display (without crease, completely) and an approximate 5.5-inch outer display.

Reportedly, the new iPhone may feature a dual-camera setup, also one front-facing camera available in both folded and unfolded states. And it may also be a slim-fit beast, according to Kuo.

The analyst claims the iPhone Fold (or however it ends up being named) will measure just 9-9.5mm thick when folded and 4.5-4.8mm when unfolded. For reference, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is quite thicker (at 12.2mm when folded), but rumors about the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 7 indicate it may measure around the same as the folding iPhone when it comes to thickness.

The iPhone is also said to feature a stainless steel and titanium alloy hinge, which should make it durable and also, frankly, beautiful. Meanwhile, the casing would be titanium for lightness and durability (and yep, the premium feel).



Kuo also says the foldable iPhone will have the same high-density battery cells as the iPhone 17 Air (the ultra-slim iPhone rumored to replace the Plus model in the upcoming iPhone 17 series).

Foldable iPhone to start development soon

But that's not all Kuo has for us today, believe it or not. The analyst also shares expectations about the foldable iPhone development schedule, indicating that the final specs should be locked in the second quarter of this year.

The iPhone Fold is then expected to officially start as a project in the third quarter of the year, with mass production said to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026. So yep, it's not coming soon, at least according to Kuo, and you may have to hold your horses until late 2026 or early 2027.

According to Kuo, the second-gen foldable iPhone may begin mass production in the second half of 2027, so it seems that Apple may be aiming for a yearly update cycle. Good news for Apple fans who've been holding off from upgrading because of that elusive foldable, alright!

The analyst expects shipments at around 3-5 million units for 2026, but the complexity of the iPhone could limit large-scale production until 2027. So yes, this could indicate it may launch somewhat exclusively, just like Apple's other innovative product, the Apple Vision Pro.

20 million units. In fact, that's the number of total foldable iPhone shipments Kuo predicts for 2027. This number would include the second-generation model. This is actually a very good amount of shipments if you think of it. Foldables aren't mainstream right now, but the thing is, Apple hasn't joined the market yet. And Kuo seems to think it'll join it strong.

For reference, five months after its release, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 reportedly managed to achieve almost 3 million shipments.

Things are getting very interesting about this new iPhone, and that's undeniable. The smartphone market is in its sleepy phase, Samsung's getting a little too comfortable with its foldables (if the rumors are to be believed), and honestly, it feels like we need Apple to finally jump in just to light a fire under everyone's.... hinges.