Next year, Apple is largely expected to release its very first foldable iPhone. The new device will come many years after companies like Apple, Google, and many others have already released multiple generations of foldable phones. We’re learning more about why Apple waited so long to join the market. The answer is somewhat surprising.
According to BusinessKorea (via 9to5Mac), earlier this year, Samsung was able to meet Apple’s quality requirements for the new phone’s display. Before this, none of Apple’s display suppliers could remove, to Apple’s satisfaction, a visible crease that had been a long-running annoyance for users of earlier foldable phones. Samsung succeeded by working closely with hinge supplier Amphenol, which makes hinges for MacBooks.
The report notes: “The decision by Apple to rely solely on Samsung Display is noteworthy given Apple’s typical strategy of using multiple suppliers to drive down costs while maintaining high quality. Industry sources highlight that Samsung’s six years of expertise in foldable OLED technology since launching the Galaxy Fold in 2019 played a crucial role in securing this exclusive contract.”
Though Samsung has perfected this, Apple’s other display suppliers, including LG and BOE, have not. As such, Samsung will be the only display provider for the first-generation iPhone Fold.
Earlier this week, leaker Digital Chat Station shared what it believes are the display specifications for Apple’s rumored iPhone Fold. It says the foldable will have an internal 7.76-inch display with a 2713 x 1920 pixel resolution and an external 5.49-inch display with a 2088 x 1422 pixel resolution. Both displays would have a 13:9 aspect ratio, with the internal display resembling an iPad mini more than an iPhone when unfolded. Additionally, the new phone is likely to offer an impressive pixel density of 428 ppi.
Apple’s first foldable will undoubtedly be the most anticipated new phone of 2026. It should join the rest of the iPhone 18 lineup, which will likely be announced in September of next year. The iPhone Fold could potentially cost between $2,000 and $2,500, making it the most expensive iPhone to date.
In the meantime, work continues on this year’s iPhone lineup, including the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and the new “iPhone 17 Air.”
Not long ago, Apple treated independent repair like an act of outright hostility. The Cupertino giant locked down parts with serial-number pairing, while repair tools remained firmly out of reach of anyone outside its authorized repair network. More importantly, the company waged a legal and lobbying battle against right-to-repair legislation.
I've covered enough of these fights over the years to know what a shift looks like. That's why what happened in October 2026 genuinely caught me off guard. The day the iPhone Duo went on sale, what may be the most mechanically complex iPhone to date, Apple pulled off a surprising about-face. It published teardown-style repair manuals for a handful of major components.
Apple's first foldable phone is now on shelves, in short supply, but with an unreal amount of buzz around it. After all, it's the first foldable iPhone, and there's plenty that this phone gets right. But there's also a lot that is either broken or underwhelming. What's peculiar is the dialogue around this phone, and how it has completely overshadowed every other attempt at making a phone with a similar form factor.
I've spent some time with the iPhone Duo, and I've used the Galaxy Z Fold 8 for almost three months now. In my opinion, Samsung deserves more credit. When the Galaxy Z Fold 8 arrived earlier this year, it was celebrated in some circles and ridiculed in others for supposedly copying what Apple would eventually deliver with the iPhone Duo. The dialogue was pretty odd, for multiple reasons. Samsung has been making foldable phones for years, so claiming that it copied a product Apple hadn't even launched was simply absurd.
For years, Samsung’s Galaxy A phones have been some of the easiest recommendations for anyone who wants to go the Android route without paying flagship prices. But that part of the lineup could soon become harder to find at a good price.
According to South Korea’s Electronic Times, Samsung is cutting Galaxy A production by about 20% in the fourth quarter compared to its original plans. Component orders have reportedly dropped by a similar amount, which could mean roughly 10 million fewer phones over the year. Samsung is also said to be considering another production cut of more than 10% next year.