Apple may have folded to the pressure of creating a foldable phone with Samsung tech instead of its own homegrown design

A man holds a foldable Samsung phone (Credit: Michael Nagle / Bloomberg—Getty Images)

• Apple’s first foldable iPhone is expected to launch next year, and a new note from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple will adopt Samsung Display’s “crease-free display solution” rather than rolling out one of its own designs. Apple is expected to launch its foldable iPhone in 2026.

Apple’s foldable phone may have been in the making for about a decade, dating back to its first flexible-display patents that were granted in 2014. But according to the latest report from Ming-Chi Kuo, one of the most experienced Apple analysts with deep connections within the tech giant’s supply chain, Apple is expected to adopt a “crease-free display solution—rather than its own design.” That design is courtesy of Samsung Display, and Apple plans to launch its first foldable phone in 2026.