Apple iPhone Fold: Significantly cheaper hinge, but not until 2027
Until now, it was widely expected that the first Apple iPhone Fold would launch next year. One of the key design challenges, as expected, is the hinge, and that’s exactly what two new leaks today are focusing on.
Apple iPhone Fold with a significantly cheaper hinge
The first leak comes from the usually well-informed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. According to Kuo, the hinge on the Apple iPhone Fold is significantly cheaper than previously thought. It’s expected to be around $70 to $80 compared to the “market expectation.”
65 percent of the hinges Apple requires are manufactured by a joint venture between Foxconn and Shin Zu Shing, the remaining 35 percent by Amphenol. Luxshare-ICT could also enter Apple’s hinge supply chain sometime “after 2027.”
With a cheaper hinge, Apple’s margin on the iPhone Fold will most likely increase even further. The alternative would be a price reduction, which no industry expert seriously expects. The price drop for the hinge is “mainly due to Foxconn’s optimization of the assembly design,” says Kuo.
The possible addition of Luxshare-ICT as a hinge supplier is said to indicate that costs could decrease even further. In addition, the hinge could quickly become a “new battleground for system assemblers.”
Apple iPhone Fold could be delayed
According to a second leak from the Japanese firm Mizuho Securities, the market launch of the Apple iPhone Fold could be postponed until 2027. The investment bank and securities firm suspects that a possible delay could be due to Apple taking longer to decide on key design elements such as the hinge. The first foldable iPhone is expected to feature a 7.58-inch internal display and a 5.38-inch external display.
The report added that expected display production for the Apple iPhone Fold has dropped from 13 million to nine million units. While a 2026 launch remains a possibility, if it goes ahead as planned, device production could lag behind panel production by as much as five to seven million units in the first year after release.
The company confirmed reports that Apple plans to delay the iPhone 18 launch to spring 2027 and launch it at the same time as the iPhone 18e. The iPhone Air 2, iPhone 18 Pro, and iPhone 18 Pro Max are scheduled to launch in fall 2026, likely coinciding with the first foldable iPhone, unless its release is delayed.
Apple is apparently developing new technologies for the iPhone 19 series and is treating the model as a special edition, as it coincides with the iPhone’s 20th anniversary. In addition, Apple will apparently lower the price of the second foldable iPhone, which is expected to launch in fall 2027, assuming the first model is not delayed.
Mizuho Securities also noted that there is currently movement in the supply chain to resume work on a foldable 18.9-inch MacBook, which is expected to debut in 2028 or 2029 at the earliest, as well as a potential iPad Fold.
