Analyst Jeff Pu said Apple's first foldable devices will be in mass production in the second half of 2026, with prices starting at $2,300 for the iPhone Fold.
Jeff Pu revealed that Apple is preparing to prototype its first two foldable devices, with plans for mass production in 2026. According to him, production will begin in the second half of 2026, which is consistent with recent rumors about foldable iPhones.
In his report, Jeff Pu made it clear that there will be two foldable devices but did not mention the iPhone or iPad. Apple may want to develop them in parallel, and the most likely scenario is that the foldable iPhone and foldable iPad will be launched at the same time.
In addition to the foldable device claims, Jeff Pu also predicted that iPhone sales will be poor this year due to delays in Apple Intelligence. However, he believes that foldable devices will change the situation and boost Foxconn's business.
All Apple devices go through the New Product Introduction (NPI) process, even new products from existing versions. For example, the iPhone 17 Slim is expected to launch in September 2025 and has entered the NPI phase since December 2024.
In addition, according to Barclays analyst Tim Long, Apple's first foldable iPhone will start at $2,300 and will be the most expensive iPhone ever. This price is nearly double the current starting price of the iPhone 16 Pro Max at $1,199. Tim Long estimated the price of the foldable iPhone after meeting with hardware manufacturers. He said there are many discussions in the supply chain about launching the foldable iPhone in late 2026 to early 2027, but he believes that the higher starting price of the device will not be surprising given the limited sales volume.
Previously, analyst Ming Chi Kup also predicted that the price of the first foldable iPhone will be between $2,000 and $2,500. He also believes that there could still be strong demand for the foldable iPhone despite its higher price, however, as long as the quality of the device meets expectations.
Kuo said that the first foldable iPhone will have a 7.8-inch internal screen, a 5.5-inch external screen, two rear cameras, a front camera, a Touch ID power button instead of Face ID, and a high-density battery. He said that the device will be 4.5 mm thin when unfolded and 9 mm to 9.5 mm thin when folded. In addition, the device will have a titanium outer shell, but the hinge will use titanium alloy and stainless steel. Kuo also predicted that the foldable iPhone will go into mass production in the fourth quarter of 2026.