Apple has a chance to make foldable phones cool
The iPhone-maker is rumored to be developing its first bendable cellular device.
The flip-phone smartphone could soon shed its reputation as the toe shoe of cellular devices, especially now that Apple is getting involved. The iPhone-maker is widely reported to be releasing its first foldable phone next year, capitalizing on a niche trend right as it’s gaining momentum.
Similar to the Galaxy phones you always see advertised but rarely encounter IRL, Apple’s foldable iPhone (code-named V68) will open like a book, transforming from a phone to a small tablet, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Since The Information broke the news about Apple’s origami foray last year, multiple analysts have predicted that it’ll launch in September 2026 for ~$2,000.
Androids greased the wheels. Apple’s foldable would come seven years after Samsung’s and Motorola’s respective first attempts, and three years after Google’s. Foldables—which now represent 1% to 2% of the smartphone market—have made major strides since the early, clunky days:
Samsung’s new Z Fold 7 launched this year to the best types of reviews a foldable can ask for—it reportedly feels just like a regular smartphone, but with more screen.
A fast-growing Chinese smartphone manufacturer, Honor, just released the world’s thinnest book-style smartphone—it’s 0.1mm slimmer than the Z Fold 7.
Sign of the times: First-week sales for Honor’s Magic V5 in Western Europe and the UK roughly doubled that of its previous iteration, the company said, suggesting that the world may finally be warming up to foldables.
Where there’s opportunity, there’s Apple: The iPhone-maker isn’t afraid to be a follower. It pulled the rug out from Pebble, Garmin, Fitbit, and Samsung and ended up leading the global smartwatch market with a 20% share. But the wait-and-release tactic doesn’t always work—Apple reportedly slashed production of its Vision Pro headset after realizing barely anybody wanted a wildly more expensive version of the Meta Quest.
