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Apple’s rumored foldable iPad and iPhone could arrive by 2027

Semi-open state of a foldable iPhone concept
Antonio De Rosa / Behance

We’ve seen folding devices from many of the big tech players but while Samsung is currently on its 6th generation of the Galaxy Z Fold, and Google on its second Pixel Fold, Apple is still nowhere to be seen in the market. 

That’s not unusual, Apple typically launches features and designs a little later than others, and sometimes not at all – it’s never done an under display fingerprint sensor for example. 

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When it comes to folding devices from the Cupertino company though, rumors are ramping up and the latest suggests we might see mass production start next year. 

What folding devices might Apple release first?

According to a research note from GF Securities, picked up by MacRumours, analyst Jeff Pu has said Apple’s first two folding phones have recently entered New Product Introduction at Foxconn. In the note, Pu suggested the foldable devices could go into early prototyping stage as early as this April, before mass production in the second half of 2026. 

Now, before you get too excited, Pu didn’t offer any specific details about the two foldable devices, though it is thought it will be the first foldable iPhone, as well as a foldable iPad. The foldable iPhone has been the subject of a number of rumors recently, with some of the latest reports suggesting it will have an aspect ratio a little different from the current folding phones out there and potentially offering an 8-inch inner display. 

The folding iPad meanwhile, is rumored to have up to a 19-inch display when unfolded, which would make it significantly larger than the current iPad Air and iPad Pro, both of which top out at 13-inches. 

If Pu is accurate in his analysis and mass production does begin at the end of 2026, it is possible we will see a folding iPhone and folding iPad announced in the second half of 2026 or early 2027. Of course, nothing is official confirmed by Apple, so take this news with a pinch of salt until there is some more concrete evidence to suggest these devices are hitting production phase, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed.

Britta O'Boyle
Britta is a freelance technology journalist who has been writing about tech for over a decade. She's covered all consumer…
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