Apple will fail to release this iPhone in 2026 and that's a grave mistake

A concept image of an iPhone Flip. | Image by iOS News Beta

Apple does things the Apple way and 2026 won't be the year when that changes, it seems.

The giant is now rumored to put the iPhone Flip – its first-ever clamshell handset – on hold. Some say we could expect an iPhone Flip in 2027 or 2028. The silver lining is that Apple still has plans to manufacture such a foldable and hasn't given up on it, but that's no reason for popping the champagne.

Apple wants money (duh!)

As you've heard by now, Apple is gearing up for its first-of-a-kind iPhone Fold. That's the unofficial moniker for the first book-style foldable, expected this September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. If you're wondering what's happening with the vanilla iPhone 18 model, you should know that it's probably delayed to early 2027.

It looks like Apple is after maximum profit with this scheme: those who want to upgrade their phone later this year will just have to get a (substantially pricier) Pro or Pro Max device instead of waiting many months more for the cheaper non-Pro handset in 2027.

Since Apple (like all the rest of the companies out there) is in the money-making business, this makes sense, even if some fans would prefer for the whole lineup to be announced on the same day.

The iPhone Fold should have its own big day

While I understand why Apple is serving only the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in 2026, I don't think the iPhone Fold should be on the same menu.

It should have its own big day.

Come on, people, you can do better than that! This is your first-ever foldable: this is the very thing (among several others, like the delayed Siri upgrade) that millions of people around the world used to make fun of. You've got things to prove!

Apple is years late to the foldable party and its rivals have already stunned us with numerous foldables, be they book-style handsets, clamshells or even tri-folds.

What I'm proposing is, obviously, for Apple to blatantly copy Samsung's summer edition of the Galaxy Unpacked event. Usually held in July, Sammy presents its Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip models on their own, not mixed with the Galaxy S models.

This way, a company gets to draw attention twice a year to itself – and I'm sure Apple would love the extra attention.

What's more, the alleged iPhone Fold – and iPhone Flip to that extent – are Cupertino's first-of-a-kind foldables, so they need a separate event even more so.

Show us the goodies!

If rumors turn out to be true, Apple will have several things to brag about with its foldable. For starters, industry insiders claim that Apple is trying to make a crease-free iPhone Fold. All foldables have creases and I don't take these rumors literally, but if Apple's foldable manages to flatten the crease even further, it would be amazing. Not that creases on phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 7 or the Find N5 are a deal breaker, but still.

What's more, Apple's first Fold model could benefit from the CoE OLED technology (Color Filter on Encapsulation), which is all about thinner, brighter panels. OLED displays usually use a polarizer to reduce reflections and enhance contrast, but this layer also limits brightness and efficiency by blocking some light. CoE removes that film and integrates the color filter into the encapsulation layer, creating a thinner panel that delivers higher brightness without increasing power consumption.

Finally, we should have a choice

In my opinion, Folds and Flips should go hand in hand. Potential buyers who want to give something new a try may not necessarily need a book-style foldable, as Folds are way much more expensive than Flips, as a rule of thumb.

Book-style foldables have three times the screen real estate of a regular slab phone, they're heavier, more sophisticated and better suited for power users, multitaskers or serious media consumers.

Flip phones, on the other hand, can be much more affordable and they have that nostalgic aura: many of us remember the wonderful flip phones or the era before the smartphone revolution.

That's why I think the iPhone Fold – as good as it may be – needs an iPhone Flip by its side. Hey, even Batman needed Robin.

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