Apple confirmed the rumored Liquid Glass design for iOS 26 and all its other operating systems last week. It’s a significant makeover that not everyone will like. But it’s a change Apple needs in anticipation of a series of products that are rumored to arrive in the coming years.
The foldable iPhone, foldable iPad, and the first AI/AR smart glasses will benefit from the unified design language. The translucent UI is especially useful for the glasses, as some models will overlay digital elements over the real world.
Apple needs users to be familiar with Liquid Glass well before those products ship. By releasing the new design in advance, Apple can address any issues and tweak the experience based on user feedback.
Most rumors mentioning Apple’s purported plans for foldable devices said that the foldable iPhone will hit stores first, as early as September 2026, when the iPhone 18 series should be unveiled. The foldable iPad would follow a year later.
But the two foldable products might be released around the same time, if a new research note from analyst Jeff Pu is to be believed.
X user @Jukanlosreve shared the following table from a recent Jeff Pu research note shared with investors. The table mentions some of the specs for both foldable products that Apple is developing and lists manufacturing timelines.
If Pu’s information is accurate, Apple and Foxconn started work on the factory lines that will assemble foldable devices in January 2025. That’s the NPI phase, or New Product Introduction.
Mass production is slated for the fourth quarter of 2026 for both products. This suggests Apple might launch the foldable iPhone and foldable iPad simultaneously, or a few weeks/months apart.
However, there are a few issues with that timeline. If Apple plans to introduce the foldable iPhone in September 2026, mass production has to start a few months earlier so Apple can start selling it right after the launch event. After all, recent reports suggested that foldable iPhones will be introduced in September rather than a different period.
The period makes sense for the foldable iPad. Previous rumors said the product will be launched in 2027 at the earliest. A 4Q26 manufacturing window would match that timeline.
How big will the foldable iPhone and iPad be?
The table above also lists a few familiar specs for the two products. The foldable iPhone will supposedly feature a 7.74-inch foldable display and a cover screen that measures either 5.49 inches or 6.55 inches. The former screen size appeared in other reports detailing the purported foldable iPhone.
I explained before that Apple is going for a different form factor than what’s available from foldable phone vendors right now. The foldable iPhone would have a different aspect ratio than Fold-type devices. Unfolded, the foldable iPhone would be almost as big as an iPad mini. When folded, it will be shorter than the Galaxy Z Fold phones.
The foldable iPad should feature an 18.8-inch foldable display. Other reports mentioned the same screen size for the foldable computer.
Jeff Pu also says that Samsung and LG Display will be tasked with making foldable screens for the two devices. The screen will feature on-cell touch, which should reduce the screen thickness. The hinge will come from SZS and Amphenol.
Finally, Pu says Apple will make 16-18 million foldable iPhones in the first year, and 2-3 million foldable iPads.
