A folding Apple iPhone has long been on the cards to challenge the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and upcoming OnePlus Open. New supply chain leaks now indicate that the folding iPhone will arrive as soon as 2026, with additional details from the BOM giving us an idea of what to expect from the folding iPhone.
The supply chain leak, shared by @QQ_Timmy on X, reveal a number of key points about the folding iPhone. For starters, the internal display is slated to be “the equivalent of two 6.1-inch” displays side-by-side, which, the leaker claims, would make it slightly larger than the 11-inch iPad Pro M4 (curr. $890.82 on Amazon). Some rudimentary calculations and online screen calculator tools, however, reveal this to be closer to 8 inches than 12, so this particular point may not be the most accurate.
The leak also provides some specs on thickness: When the folding phone is closed, it will supposedly be around 9.2 mm thick, with each side being an even 4.6 mm thick. For reference, the Oppo Find N5 — and future OnePlus Open 2 — will be 4.2 mm thick when unfolded, putting the folding iPhone among the thinnest foldable phones around. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, one of the more popular folding phones in Western markets — measures in at 12.2 mm when folded and 5.6 mm when open.
Another vital detail, corroborated by recent X posts from reputable leaker, Ross Young, is that the foldable iPhone will use Samsung Display as a main supplier for the folding OLED panel, with BOE speculated to be a secondary source.
The leak also claims that the hinge will be a custom Apple-designed affair — par for the course for the US tech giant —and the internal frame of the folding iPhone looks like it will be made of aluminium. It's unclear whether this aluminium frame will extend to the external rails of the phone, but it seems unlikely that Apple will use stainless steel for any major structural components of the folding iPhone, since folding phones already have issues with weight. This leaves aluminium, titanium, and carbon fibre as potential materials, although the latter seems unlikely, given its manufacturing complexity and environmental drawbacks.
Last, but not least, the supply chain leaks claim that the new foldable iPhone will feature just two rear-mounted cameras and one internal selfie camera. Specifically, the leak mentions a regular wide-angle camera and an ultra-wide lens, confirming that Apple will follow the market trend of folding phones having somewhat inferior hardware than flagship candy bar smartphones.
Battery capacity is expected to be around 5,000 mAh, and the folding iPhone will reportedly launch around the end of 2025 or early 2026.
Source(s)
@QQ_Timmy on X, Ross Young on X (1, 2)