Top analyst claims Apple's foldable iPhone is finally in motion - this time, for real?

Analyst Jeff Pu chimes in with some information about the foldable iPhone, corroborating earlier expectations that the device may actually happen in the second half of 2026.

Apple has been rumored to be working on a foldable iPhone for years now, but none has materialized just yet. Most likely, the fact that Cupertino is yet to join the foldable phone market is due to very high expectations for quality, and for years, the tech just wasn't there.

But now, the rumors are picking up speed, and we are expecting to see a foldable iPhone next year. Now, Jeff Pu claims Apple's first two foldable devices have recently entered the New Product Introduction (NPI) phase at iPhone assembly contractor Foxconn.

Pu shared this information in a research note with GF Securities. Pu also says mass production of the foldable devices is expected to begin in the second half of 2026. This aligns with Ming-Chi Kuo's predictions that mass production of the iPhone book-style foldable is set to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Pu is talking about two foldables though. One is probably the book-style foldable iPhone. It is unclear whether the second foldable is another iPhone (if you ask me, I'd wish that, as I'm waiting for a clamshell iPhone Flip phone) or a foldable iPad. According to Pu, the two foldable devices may enter an early prototyping stage this April.

In his note, Pu didn't provide any specific details about the devices. The foldable iPhone is rumored to have an 8-inch inner display, while the foldable iPad may sport a huge 19-inch screen.

Meanwhile, Jeff Pu believes the iPhone shipment outlook in 2025 may not be the best, due partly to Apple's disastrous AI Siri delay. The analyst believes the foldable devices may boost Foxconn's business in 2026.

Apple's foldable iPhone is expected to sport a Galaxy Fold-type of design, opening like a book and not like a clamshell. Rumors indicate Apple may have managed to exterminate the crease where the phone's screen folds, which is something nobody has done yet (some phones are very close to doing it though, and they may manage to pull it off before Apple).

Meanwhile, reputable industry insider Ming-Chi Kuo has shared quite a lot of his predictions about the foldable iPhone. It may be an extra-expensive phone with a superslim profile, with Touch ID embedded in the power button, and may have a successor a year later.

Kuo also claims it may take advantage of advanced Apple Intelligence features, but the fact that Apple is clearly struggling with the already promised AI Siri features is throwing some doubt (in my head) on this particular expectation.

The foldable iPhone, when it becomes official, will face the likes of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 probably (depending on when the iPhone 'Fold' launches). The competition will be tough given the fact that Chinese phone makers are pushing innovation as we speak, with Oppo and Honor battling to claim the world's thinnest foldable phone title while Huawei is branching into the tri-fold realm.

Meanwhile, companies like OnePlus and Google also have contenders for the best foldable phone with the book-style design, and by the time Apple joins, they will probably also have newer, improved versions, just like Samsung. Foldables are by no means mainstream just yet though, and Apple's take on a creaseless display and premium experience may just be the key to unlocking foldable phones' potential.

The foldable iPad is, on the other hand, without rivals at the moment. It is rumored to come with an under-display Face ID, but other reputable figures, including Mark Gurman, expect this device to become official later, in 2028.