Apple Analyst Claims Folding iPhone Could Ditch Face ID, Cost $2,500 Or More
We keep hearing that Apple plans to release an iPhone handset in a folding form factor, but will it really happen and if so, what can we expect? Prominent Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo offered some insight on both accounts. According to Kuo, there is a timeline for Apple's first foldable iPhone, and he also shares some hardware predictions and forecast how pricing will shake out. Let's dig in.
According to Kuo, Apple will finalize the specifications for its first folding iPhone by the second quarter of this year (so sometime between April to June). After that, the project will officially get underway in the third quarter, followed by mass production in the fourth quarter of next year. So in other words, barring any delays during the process, we're looking at a late 2026 or early 2027 launch.
He also anticipates Apple shipping between 3-5 million folding iPhones next year. Looking further ahead, he believes Apple will mass produce a second-generation model in the second half of 2027. He forecasts that total shipments (1st and 2nd gen models) could reach 20 million units in 2027.
As for the hardware makeup of Apple's first folding iPhone, Kuo says it will have a book-style design with a 5.5-inch outer display, and a "crease-free" inner display measuring around 7.8 inches. If we're speculating, the effort to eradicate any hints of a crease is probably the reason why Apple is taking so long to release a foldable.
Kuo also says the 1st gen foldable could give Face ID the boot because of the required thickness and internal space constraints (Apple's apparently shooting to keep the profile at 4.5mm to 4.8mm when unfolded, and 9-9.5mm when folded), and will instead bring back Touch ID as a side button.
Other design highlights include a rear camera arrangement with a dual lens setup, a front-facing camera being present in both folded and unfolded modes, a stainless steel hinge, titanium alloy casing, and the same high-density battery cell that Apple plans to shove inside its iPhone 17 Air. And of course AI will play a prominent role.
The folding iPhone predictions sound promising, but buyers may have to pay through the nose for Apple's first effort in the foldable category—Kuo anticipates retail pricing to be "above $2,000 and $2,500." Yikes! As points of comparison, Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 6 is on sale for $1,549.97 at Amazon (save $440.02) and the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is currently discounted to $949.99 (save $270).
Top image AI-generated with Google Gemini
