A Foldable iPhone Could Be Apple’s Next Big Step – And It Might Launch Sooner Than You Think
Now that the iPhone 17 line-up has been unveiled, we can finally put all the rumours to bed… and start a whole new set about next year’s iPhone 18 series!
In all seriousness, the recent iPhone event brought some of the biggest overhauls to Apple’s flagship range. The standout highlight was the end of the Plus model, which has been replaced by the iPhone Air – the thinnest iPhone ever made, measuring just 5.5mm.
We also saw a substantial redesign of the Pro and Pro Max models, both of which now feature an elevated ‘plateau’ housing the triple 48MP cameras, as well as a vapour chamber – the first ever in an iPhone.
If those were enough to catch your fancy, the 2026 iPhone line-up might just blow you out of the water. Rumour has it that next year could be the moment Apple takes a monumental step into the foldable scene.
Talks of an Apple foldable have been around for the longest time, ever since Samsung released its first-generation book-style Galaxy Fold in 2019. Many expected Apple to go shoulder-to-shoulder with the Korean giants, but instead, the Cupertino-based titans have bided their time and stayed clear of the race.
Since then, rival brands such as HUAWEI, HONOR, vivo, OPPO, and Google – to name a few – have all worked extensively on their foldable contenders.
Rest assured, Apple hasn’t been resting on its laurels. You can bet they’ve been closely monitoring market sentiment to see what works and what doesn’t, constantly refining their own iteration before unleashing it to the public.
That moment, it seems, could come as early as next year. According to a roadmap by prominent Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, a foldable iPhone is set to debut in the second half of 2026, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, and the second-generation iPhone Air (iPhone Air 2, perhaps?).
Very few details have surfaced so far, and its final name is still up in the air. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, it is currently codenamed “V68.” You can expect four cameras on the foldable: two on the rear, one front-facing camera on the outer screen, and one more on the internal screen. Apparently, the foldable will only be available in black and white colourways.
Interestingly, it may not even feature a SIM card slot – a trend Apple has been leaning into lately, as seen with the iPhone Air, which was announced with eSIM-only support.
Regardless of how true these rumours turn out to be, we only have to wait about a year until the full picture becomes clear. In the meantime, we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled.
Source: [1] Ming-Chi Kuo
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