Bloomberg’s well-connected Apple specialist Mark Gurman has backed up recent rumors that a foldable iPhone will launch in 2026.
In the Q&A section of his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman states that he expects Apple to “launch its own foldable phone next year” with a design akin to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6. That is to say that it will be a regular-looking phone that opens up to reveal a small tablet on its internal screen, rather than a flip phone that can fold in half to be more pocketable.
This makes a lot of sense. As Gurman himself writes, the Galaxy Z Fold is a “dream device for handling work tasks and watching video, and it’s a category that Apple can’t ignore.”
Not only that, but unfolded, it’s not all that different to an iPad mini in size: here’s the Galaxy Z Fold 3 next to an iPad mini 6 for comparison.
This echoes a recent report from the analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who believes a folding iPhone is coming in late 2026 or early 2027. In Kuo’s telling, the device will pack a 5.5-inch outer display, that will open onto a 7.8-inch internal one — slightly smaller than the 8.3-inch iPad mini 7.
Apple will be well aware of the drawbacks of current foldables, one of which is the necessary physical size of a device where one screen opens onto another.
Keen to avoid the feeling of walking around with two phones in the pocket when folded, Gurman expects Apple to reuse many technologies it has on the way with its ultrathin upcoming iPhone 17 Air. That presumably means the diminutive C1 modem, no SIM tray and high-density battery tech among other tweaks in order to reach an acceptable level of thickness even when closed.
Gurman expects Apple to reuse many technologies it has on the way with its ultrathin upcoming iPhone 17 Air.
Another sign of the company seeking to set itself apart from its rivals is its desire to “eliminate the crease at all costs”. That refers to fixing an aesthetic defect common in even the best foldable phones, where repeated folding leaves a visible dent in the middle of the screen.
Given Apple products are typically expensive and foldables are really expensive, combining the two sounds like a recipe for a sky-high MSRP. Indeed, one analyst believes it could cost as much as $2,300.
Gurman’s estimate is, at this stage, a little lower: “around $2,000”. That would make it more than the OnePlus Open ($1,699), but within touching distance of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 ($1,899).
If you consider it to be an iPhone ($799+) and iPad mini ($499+) replacement in one, that’s not necessarily unrealistic given Apple fans’ tolerance for luxury pricing, and Gurman believes it has the “makings of a big hit for Apple”, even if it “may take a while for volumes to ramp up”.
Interestingly, this might not be the only foldable device Apple has in mind for the next few years.
Last week, a patent that appeared to describe Apple Watch with a clamshell folding display emerged, though, of course, a patent isn’t the same thing as concrete development plans.
