Up to now, most reports had Apple's long awaited foldable iPhone getting introduced next September next to the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the iPhone Air. The base iPhone 18 model would be introduced the following spring alongside the lower-priced iPhone 18e. But there is now some speculation that the device expected to be called the iPhone Fold will be delayed until 2027. This bad news comes courtesy of Japanese securities firm Mizuho Securities.
A delay in mass producing the hinge could cause a delay in the release of the iPhone Fold until 2027
As noted by South Korean website The Elec, Mizuho told its clients that Apple has yet to finalize the design and the specifications of its first foldable phone. There are some questions left about a couple of components that Apple will use with the iPhone Fold and one of these components is said to be the hinge. Obviously, with a foldable phone the hinge is a very important component.
The Razr is so hot that Motorola's global foldable market share doubled to 28% during Q2 2025. | Image credt-PhoneArena
Apple supposedly was going to use a unique hinge that was going to eliminate, or at the least, reduce the crease that has been the bane of a foldable phone owner's existence since the launch of the very first foldable handset. Just the other day, highly respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the hinge for the foldable iPhone may be $20 to $40 cheaper than expectations. Currently the price of the hinge is estimated at $100 to $120 for each piece. By the time the component goes into mass production, Kuo sees the price dropping to $70 or $80 a piece.
According to AppleInsider, Mizuho's note to clients, when translated, reads, "It is not easy to mass-produce a foldable phone in the third quarter of 2026 and release it in September. It takes time to decide the final design and specification of Apple's hinge." This alone could give Apple a reason to delay the introduction and release of the iPhone Fold until 2027.
Japan's Mizuho Securites expects the iPhone Fold to sport a 7.58-inch internal screen
It is important to note that Mizhuo isn't completely ruling out a 2026 launch of the foldable iPhone. If that is the case, the securities firm predicts that Apple will produce five to seven million fewer units of the iPhone Fold than originally forecast. Mizhuo's note also pointed out that the expected number of panels being produced for the iPhone Fold has been revised lower to 9 million units from the 13 million originally expected.
Will you buy a foldable iPhone?
Yes. I can't wait for the iPhone Fold.
58.82%
No. I don't like foldable phones.
11.76%
I would love a foldable phone, but not a foldable iPhone.
29.41%
Mizhuo analysts also said that the foldable's external display will feature a 5.38-inch cover screen and an internal display weighing in at 7.58 inches. Two other reports from back in April both called for the iPhone Fold to feature a 5.49-inch external screen and a 7.76 internal screen. This compares to the 8-inch internal display for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, and that model's 6.5-inch external screen.
Motorola doubled its global foldable market share to 28% during Q2 2025
One feature expected to make its return to the iPhone with the first foldable model is Touch ID. The fingerprint sensor made its debut with the iPhone 5s in 2013. It was replaced with Face ID when the iPhone X was introduced in 2017.
Foldable phones remain a niche product globally and many analysts expect this to remain the status quo until Apple enters the market place. The penetration rate worldwide for foldable phones is expected to be 1.5% to 1.6% of the total global smartphone market in 2025. Total shipments are forecast to reach 19.8 million this year. The top foldable manufacturer with 45% of the market as of the second quarter of this year is Huawei.
Surprisingly, Motorola's Razr line this year is so hot, the manufacturer doubled its market share worldwide to 28% to take second place. As of the second quarter, before the release of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7, Samsung held 9% of the foldable market worldwide.
As of the second quarter of 2025, Motorola and Samsung were numbers one and two in the U.S. foldable market respectively.
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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
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