iPhone Fold production supposedly hit by technical snags

Apple’s hotly anticipated foldable iPhone has been in the rumour mill for the better part of the decade. An earlier report stated it entered mass production, and it is expected to hit shelves towards the end of 2026. However, Nikkei Asia reports Apple has run into some snags in the process. A source familiar with the matter said:

It's true that more issues than expected have emerged during the early test production phase, and additional time will be needed to resolve them and make necessary adjustments. ... The current situation could put the mass production timeline at risk. April will mark a crucial stage of the engineering verification test, and this month till early May is extremely critical.

Interestingly, the delays are caused by engineering process bottlenecks and not memory module shortage, something Apple seems to have in abundance. Essentially, the initial September launch window runs the risk of being pushed back. Ideally, it should still hit the 2026 launch window, but there’s a non-zero chance it slips to 2027.

Of course, that entirely hinges on the aforementioned process bottlenecks in April-May, when we should ideally get another update on the foldable iPhone. As is the case with most unreleased products, Apple remains tight-lipped about any future foldables. Nikkei says Apple plans to manufacture about seven million units initially.