No Foldable iPhone Expected Until 2023 at the Earliest, But 2024 More Likely

Apple is not expected to introduce a foldable iPhone until 2023 at the earliest, with 2024 being the more likely target date, according to display analyst Ross Young.

Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Blue
Rumors about a foldable ‌iPhone‌ have died down in recent months, but there continues to be evidence that Apple is at least working on prototypes of foldable devices. In September 2020, it was suggested that Samsung had provided foldable display samples to Apple for testing purposes, and there have also been rumors that Apple is working with LG Display.

Back in May, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple was working to launch a foldable ‌iPhone‌ with an 8-inch flexible OLED display in 2023, but he has said little else about Apple's work on foldable devices since then. Bloomberg in January said that Apple had started "early work" on a foldable iPhone, but development at the time had not expanded beyond a display.

Going forward, Kuo believes that foldable smartphones are going to become a "must-have" for all major smartphone brands, and Samsung at least has definitely been working on perfecting its foldable smartphone options. Earlier this year, Samsung introduced the Galaxy Z Fold3, the third-iteration of its foldable smartphone.


Early Galaxy Fold devices from Samsung were riddled with issues, but Samsung has now had three years to iron out bugs with little competition in the foldable smartphone field. If Apple does opt to come out with a foldable smartphone in 2023 or 2024, it will need to compete with Samsung, a company that now has several years of expertise with foldable devices.

Kuo has previously said that Apple will need to solve "key technology and mass production issues" to launch a foldable iPhone by 2023, so it would be no surprise at all to have the technology delayed until 2024.

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon: New Features for Your iPhone and Release Date

Monday October 27, 2025 7:55 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1. Release Date Given that Apple has yet to seed an iOS 26.1 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, the...
iOS 26

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below. Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...
maxresdefault

Apple TV 4K Could Still Launch Before 2025 Ends: All the Rumored Features

Monday October 27, 2025 4:51 pm PDT by
Apple is designing an updated version of the Apple TV 4K, and rumors suggest that it could come out sometime in the next couple of months. We're not expecting a major overhaul with design changes, but even a simple chip upgrade will bring major improvements to Apple's set-top box. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We've rounded up all the latest Apple TV rumors. ...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1 Release Candidates

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:07 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1 updates for testing purposes. The RCs betas come a week after Apple released the fourth betas. The new betas can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software...
M6 MacBook Pro Feature 1

M6 MacBook Pro: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Monday October 27, 2025 9:15 am PDT by
Apple this month refreshed the 14-inch MacBook Pro base model with its new M5 chip, and higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips are expected to follow in early 2026. However, these machines will represent the final update to the current design, with Apple reportedly developing a completely new version of the MacBook Pro packed with next-generation hardware...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

8 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday October 30, 2025 4:42 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
macos tahoe

Here Are Apple's Release Notes for macOS Tahoe 26.1

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:21 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of macOS Tahoe 26.1, which means the update will likely see a public launch next week. The release candidate includes notes on what's in the update, so we have a full picture of the new features that Apple has included. macOS Tahoe 26.1 adds AutoMix support over AirPlay, improved FaceTime audio...
ipad mini 7 feature blue

OLED iPad Mini: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Wednesday October 29, 2025 7:13 am PDT by
Rumors are stoking excitement for the next-generation iPad mini that Apple is reportedly close to launching. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released over a year ago? Read on to find out. Processor and Performance Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Another Vehicle Brand Gaining iPhone Car Keys Support

Tuesday October 28, 2025 5:27 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to bring support for its digital car key feature to Jetour vehicles, according to evidence uncovered on Apple's backend by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. Introduced in 2022, Car Keys allows an iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock a vehicle through the Wallet app. A digital version of a car key is stored in Wallet, and unlocking can be done by holding an Apple Watch or...

Top Rated Comments

dantracht Avatar
51 months ago
The only thing I want to fold is a slice of pizza. I like iPhones unfolded.
Score: 56 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Spock Avatar
51 months ago
Would rather have USB-C
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JPack Avatar
51 months ago
Kinda like the people who predicted nobody would want phablets. The market clearly said otherwise.

Same thing with foldables. Right now, it's affordability and materials holding it back. Can't compare 2019 with 2024.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
51 months ago
That's fine. No one is interested anyways. Just make the iOS software better. Who wants to deal with that?

[MEDIA=twitter]1118574467255418880[/MEDIA]

Apple for now please introduce USB-C to the iPhones lineup.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
txscott Avatar
51 months ago
I want the phones and tablets from "The Expanse". Until they can do that, I'll keep buying non fold phones.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheWatchfulOne Avatar
51 months ago
Why is anybody expecting a folding iPhone at all? ?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)