Crease-Free iPhone Fold on Track for 2026 Launch as Development Advances

Apple is making progress on the development of the book-style foldable iPhone expected in 2026, according to a report from Chinese site UDN. The device has reportedly entered the engineering validation stage, and Apple is gearing up for mass production.

Apple Foldable Thumb
Citing supply chain sources, UDN says that Apple has solved "the crease problem" that has plagued most foldable smartphones, and the foldable ‌iPhone‌ will be the first crease-free foldable smartphone on the market. We've heard multiple prior rumors about Apple's intensive work on the hinge and display to minimize creasing, so this isn't the first time the foldable ‌iPhone‌ has been rumored to have a seamless screen.

Apple is using an inner screen designed by Samsung, but the panel structure, lamination method, and material process was designed by Apple. Apple worked with its suppliers to come up with a hinge design that prevents a permanent crease, and the hinge will adopt Liquid Metal components. By using Liquid Metal, Apple was able to design an ‌iPhone‌ that has a durable hinge that still has a slim design.

Apple will allegedly call the device the "‌iPhone‌ Fold," which is the name sites have already adopted when sharing rumors about the product.

There have been rumors suggesting that Apple could delay the foldable iPhone beyond 2026, but if Apple is ready for the engineering validation stage of ‌iPhone‌ development, a September 2026 launch timeline as planned is entirely plausible.

Related Roundup: iPhone 18
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 27 Will Reportedly Have Two Key Upgrades

Sunday November 23, 2025 8:48 am PST by
iOS 27 will reportedly have two major elements: quality improvements and new AI features. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is focused on improving "quality and underlying performance" over adding new features. Gurman said there is one exception to this rule, though, as he expects...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 18 Pro Looks Like a Huge Upgrade

Friday November 21, 2025 9:10 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the new features and improvements expected to come to next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Apple's next-generation iPhones are less than ten months away and we already have a good idea about what to expect based on corroborated leaks, rumors,...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Two Breakthrough Features

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:26 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include two standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
General Black Friday Deals 25 Red

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now on AirPods, iPads, Accessories, and More

Friday November 21, 2025 8:48 am PST by
We're only a few days away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
ipad black friday 2025

The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:20 am PST by
Black Friday is just over a week away, and iPad deals have finally started to flood in at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Below we're tracking discounts on every current generation iPad, including lowest-ever prices on M3 iPad Air and M5 iPad Pro, plus steep markdowns on iPad and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a ...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

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

Wednesday November 19, 2025 4:00 am PST 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...

Top Rated Comments

Hajj.david Avatar
1 hour ago at 10:29 am

nobody wants a foldable phone. it's such a stupid product.
Fold 7 is selling well and its roughly the same width as the iPhone 17 pro max when folded. iPad when you want and phone when you don't is pretty compelling.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tim Jobs the 2nd Avatar
1 hour ago at 10:34 am

nobody reasonable wants a foldable phone. it's such a stupid product.
You don’t want one which is fine but you’re just one person. Saying “nobody” wants it just because you don’t is incorrect. Plenty of people want it.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
1 hour ago at 10:35 am

nobody reasonable wants a foldable phone. it's such a stupid product.
I guess that makes me an unreasonable person - Thanks for that
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DocMultimedia Avatar
1 hour ago at 10:34 am
If camera isn't as good as the next Pro I won't be buying. Camera determines purchase.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
krspkbl Avatar
1 hour ago at 10:35 am
The crease isn’t the issue.

It’s the soft plastic screen that is going to get wrecked by your finger nail or small bits of dust/debris.

Sorry but I ain’t paying even more money for a phone that is going to be ruined so easily. But hey at least you can just buy AppleCare…

I’ll stick to boring old iPhones with solid glass that I can put a glass screen protector on.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dirk Pieters Avatar
1 hour ago at 10:32 am

Excited to finally see a new iPhone form factor from Apple. Not so excited for the price, though.
Come on now ... you can live with a single kidney. ?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)