Kuo: Apple's First Foldable iPhone to Feature Book-Style Design, Sell for Over $2,000

Apple's first foldable iPhone should arrive around the end of 2026 or early 2027 with a book-style design and a premium price tag of over $2,000, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In a report today, Kuo outlines his expectations for the device, noting that it will have an approximately 7.8-inch "crease-free" inner display and a 5.5-inch outer display, matching a rumor from last month.

iPhone Fold Vertical Feature
Kuo says that the foldable ‌iPhone‌ will measure between 9 and 9.5 mm when folded, and around 4.5 to 4.8 mm when unfolded. It will feature a titanium alloy casing with a hinge made of stainless steel and titanium alloy, and it will have a dual-lens rear camera with a front-facing camera for both folded and unfolded states.

Notably, Kuo says that the phone will forgo Face ID authentication, instead using a Touch ID side button as a means to save precious internal space. It will also be positioned as a "true AI-driven phone," with the larger screens allowing for a better multi-tasking AI experience.

With premium pricing above $2,000 and perhaps even above $2,500, Kuo believes the foldable ‌iPhone‌ will tap into Apple's loyal fanbase, some of whom will view it as a "must-have device" if its quality meets expectations.

Kuo says Apple is aiming to finalize the specs of its first foldable ‌iPhone‌ during the second quarter of this year and officially kick off the project in the third quarter. Mass production is reportedly planned for the fourth quarter of 2026, so we could perhaps see a launch late next year or in early 2027. A second-generation model is said to be in the pipeline for a year later.

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Top Rated Comments

Insidious Avatar
18 weeks ago
At that price, the only clamshell device I need is a MacBook.
Score: 69 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nickawhite Avatar
18 weeks ago
Anyone else far more interested in a Razr style hamburger fold phone, as it were? Small phone with a large screen...
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Shalev Lazarof Avatar
18 weeks ago
instant buy.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
F23 Avatar
18 weeks ago
Introducing Apple Book, Siri can now disappoint you on 2 screens at once. Starting at $2999, we can't wait for you to start a 800 page forum on MacRumors complaining about it.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NeonNights Avatar
18 weeks ago
Those that actually own foldables and use them everyday will attest to the crease being the lowest priority. Apple should focus on:

Software
Thinness
Weight
Camera quality
IP rating for dust/sand
Apple Pencil support
Durability
Battery life

Nail down all those other design challenges before worrying about minimal crease.

People that complain about the crease typically lack any real-world experience with a foldable (as opposed to a flip phone). People imagine they'll feel the crease every time they swipe or scroll because they're used to how their thumb or finger slides across the middle of a narrow slab phone. What they fail to realize, due to lack of first-hand experience, is the wider inner screen of a foldable makes it difficult to reach the middle where the crease is. In reality, with two-handed use your thumbs are scrolling along the outer third of the large display and rarely encounters the crease. That is why so few foldable owners actually complain about the crease. And when watching content on the glorious, large display, the crease is literally invisible. The crease is there if people want to fixate on it but that's like going for a run and realizing your socks are mismatched -- it's not a big deal.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Col4bin Avatar
18 weeks ago
Apple is introducing a foldable iPhone in 2027, relying on a tired concept that has been widely available in the market since 2019. Now that’s innovative!
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)