Apple may release a foldable iPhone next year, featuring liquid metal hinges

For a while now, there have been rumours about a foldable iPhone, and the latest report in Bloomberg by Mark Gurman doubles down on them. As per this report, the upcoming iPhone will resemble Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold in terms of design. Further, the report says that the foldable iPhone will share some technologies with the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, which is just 5.5mm thick, hinting that the new device will be compact.

Another noteworthy feature that Apple’s foldable iPhone will have is the liquid metal hinge, which will be created by Dongguan EonTec - Apple’s exclusive supplier. With this hinge, Apple aims to resolve one of the main issues with foldable phones - the creases on the screen. Usually, Apple uses liquid metal for smaller components like SIM ejector tools. The company is now planning to use the same for better screen flatness.

Interestingly, last week, Ming-Chi Kuo, who is known for making credible predictions, doubled down on this. The analyst also pointed out that this may set a new standard for foldable displays that Android manufacturers may follow. Ming-Chi Kuo also noted that the foldable iPhone may feature a 5.5-inch outer display and a 7.8-inch inner screen, which is similar to an iPad mini.

At the moment, Apple has not provided any technical specifications for the foldable iPhone. However, Gurman said that this device may be priced around $2,000 and may have limited availability at the start. Further, the foldable iPhone is likely to go into production in Q4 2026 and may launch in early 2027 (likely with the iPhone 18 lineup). This is in line with what Jeff Pu, an analyst, predicted in a previous report. In any case, it would be a while before we get the first official glance at the foldable iPhone.