A new report suggests Apple is dead serious about a foldable iPhone. The company has ramped up the project with a 2026 release goal. According to The Information, Apple gave this project a “V68” codename, which suggests this is no longer just an idea but a product Apple wants to keep developing.
The report highlights a “clamshell” design for its foldable iPhone, which could make it similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip and Motorola’s Razr phones. As previously rumored, Cupertino has been struggling to eliminate a visible crease where the iPhone’s screen would fold. However, the company believes it can overcome this issue.
With the Galaxy Z Flip 6, Samsung was able to make the crease less visible. Although it’s still there, it’s becoming less prominent. In a couple of years, it’s possible it could completely disappear.
This is not the first time The Information reported on a foldable iPhone. In February, the publication said this device was in “early development,” and Apple wanted a Galaxy Z Flip-like foldable iPhone as thin as current iPhone models—just a reminder: The iPhone 15 Pro is 8.25mm thicker.
The report believes Apple started this project around 2020, but it might need a few more years until it’s completed. More interestingly, Korean outlet The Elec has recently learned that Apple is considering a 2026 or 2027 release date for a foldable device about the same size as the iPad mini.
The report doesn’t call it a phone. Previous rumors said that Apple’s first foldable device might be a tablet rather than an iPhone.
While The Information believes a 2026 release makes more sense, The Elec points out that 2027 would mark the 20th anniversary of the iPhone and the 10th anniversary of the first iPhone with an OLED panel. The latter isn’t really a cause for celebration. The 2017 iPhone X had to be different because Apple celebrated the handset’s 10th anniversary. And the OLED screen allowed Apple to make an all-screen display in addition to the TrueDepth system.
However, making a foldable iPhone in 2027 to mark the iPhone’s 20th anniversary would be a big deal. Thanks to this report, I now think this could be Apple’s ultimate goal, which is to reshape once again how we use and interact with our iPhones by introducing a foldable variant.
