Apple set to break tradition with the launch of the foldable iPhone

Apple has been rumored for quite some time to be developing a foldable iPhone that is scheduled to be released in 2026, and with the launch of that product, the company will be deviating away from its traditional strategy.

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The foldable iPhone is one of, if not the most exciting, product Apple is working on behind the scenes, as many are expecting the device to reshape what we currently know as a foldable smartphone. This assumption comes from Apple's prowess and self-description that when it enters a new product category, it, while it may be late, is typically the best.

That statement is true for the most part as Apple has reshaped many product categories and in many ways legitimized new ones. For example, the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and AirPods were all massive commercial successes that revamped the aforementioned categories.

The iPhone ushered in a new phase for smartphone devices with its multi-touchscreen, virtual keyboard, and minimalist design. The iPad revamped how tablets are used. The Apple Watch created the ideal synergy between a wearable and a smartphone. The AirPods legitimized wireless earbuds. In many ways, this reshaping of a product category is the "It" factor that some come to expect of Apple, and what is interesting about the upcoming foldable iPhone is that Apple may not have "It".

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In a new article by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple will launch the foldable iPhone at the end of next year into a product category that is already seven years old and currently dominated by its competitor, Samsung.

Many would think this would be the opportune moment for Apple to debut with a device that completely reshapes the foldable smartphone category, but according to Gurman the company is playing things quite close to its chest with the foldable iPhone, as the device will offer an extremely similar design as Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold line up, feature many of the same core components, same foldable OLED screen, which are even sourced from Samsung Display.

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This means that Apple's foldable won't revolutionize the foldable market with a new technological breakthrough, but an approximate iOS alternative to the Fold 7 with several improvements on the weaknesses of the category. Those improvements are said to be a creaseless inner display, improvements to the hinge, and a more tailored software experience.

Does this mean the foldable iPhone will flop? Gurman doesn't believe so, as there is the factor of Apple being able to market premium hardware to consumers, and also the factor of there being many iOS users who are interested in a foldable smartphone but weren't willing to make the leap over to Android to experience one. That last factor alone could see the foldable iPhone be a commercial success.