Rumours of Apple finally launching a foldable smartphone has been going around for ages. Now though, it seems we have the first confirmation that the Cupertino-based tech giant will be releasing the device soon. And, surprisingly, the confirmation comes not from Apple, but Samsung.
Well, sort of. It seems the top boss of Samsung Display a sister-company of Samsung Mobiles, accidentally revealed that they are working on foldable OLED panels for a “North American client.” Gee, we wonder who that might be.
As per a news report by South Korean news outlet Chosun Biz, Samsung Display’s President, Lee Cheong told a bunch of reporters in Seoul that the company is preparing for large-scale production of foldable OLED panels for a “North American client.”
Although Cheong did not name Apple, it wouldn’t be a far-fetched guess as to who this “North American client” might be.
Also, given Samsung’s existing role as a key supplier for iPhone displays, the tech world quickly connected the dots.
It’s no secret that Samsung makes some of the best displays in the business. The timing also aligns perfectly with rumours of Apple planning a foldable launch in 2026.
Production of Samsung’s next-gen OLED panels, which is said to be more efficient and thinner than what is used even in Samsung’s own Galaxy Fold 7, is reportedly set to start in mid-2025.
That would give Apple enough time to begin assembling what might be called the iPhone Fold, which should hit the market alongside the iPhone 18 series in September 2026.
Early leaks hint that Apple’s foldable could feature a large 7.74-inch internal display, complemented by a 5.49-inch cover screen.
The design is rumoured to be remarkably slim, around 4.8mm when unfolded, which would make it even thinner than the iPhone Air and sleeker than Samsung’s latest Galaxy Z Fold 7.
On the camera front, Apple may be going for two 48MP rear sensors, along with front cameras on both displays. A 24MP under-display selfie camera is also being discussed, suggesting Apple might skip Face ID entirely and bring back Touch ID for a cleaner, edge-to-edge design without a notch or Dynamic Island.
Powering it all could be Apple’s upcoming A20 chip, built to handle the demands of multitasking and folding screens.
If there’s one thing predictable about Apple, it’s pricing. Analysts believe the foldable iPhone will sit in the ultra-premium category, with an estimated price of around $2,000 (roughly ₹1.7 lakh). That would make it the priciest iPhone yet.
Apple may be fashionably late to the foldable party that Samsung started back in 2019, but anticipation is sky-high. If all goes as expected, 2026 could finally be the year the world sees what Apple’s version of a foldable looks like.
