On October 23rd, a digital blogger revealed that Apple's first foldable phone, the iPhone Fold, is expected to be officially released in 2026. The leak indicates that the new phone will adopt a 4:3 aspect ratio similar to the iPad mini and feature an under-display sensor, potentially hiding Face ID and the front-facing camera beneath the screen. The blogger stated that the iPhone Fold could once again push the supply chain in new directions.
Combined with previous leaks, the iPhone Fold will be equipped with Apple's latest A20 series chip (such as the A20 Pro), 8GB or 12GB of LPDDR6 RAM, and up to 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage. Notably, sources indicate that due to the need for a thin and lightweight design (approximately 4.5-4.8mm thick when unfolded and 9-9.5mm when folded), the device will eliminate the Face ID module and instead adopt Touch ID fingerprint recognition integrated into the power button. It will also fully support eSIM technology, eliminating the need for a physical SIM card slot.
CNMO has learned that the global hinge supply chain is currently a competitive landscape among Chinese, American, and South Korean companies, involving companies such as Amphenol (US), Yian Technology (China), and Fine Technix (South Korea). Ultra-thin glass (UTG) supplier Lens Technology has achieved technological breakthroughs and plans to expand its production lines in preparation for Apple's 2026 mass production.
The supply chain estimates that foldable iPhone shipments will be approximately 7 million units in 2025, while analyst Ming-Chi Kuo's latest forecast raises the 2026 shipment forecast to 8-10 million units. TrendForce predicts that driven by Apple, the market share of foldable phones will jump from 1.6% in 2025 to over 3% in 2027.
