Apple's first foldable iPhone could be delayed until 2027 over complex hinge system

Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone might not release in 2026 and could be delayed according to Mizuho Securities, citing issues with key design elements of the phone including the complex hinge system and flexible OLED display.

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The analysts also said that the estimated flexible OLED panel production has been reduced from 13 million units to around 9 million units, a huge adjustment that hints at slower early-stage manufacturing. We could expect Apple to still launch its foldable iPhone in 2026, but internal testing standards from the company could push the release out considerably.

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We were to expect Apple to unveil the foldable iPhone -- rumored as the iPhone Ultra -- alongside its next-gen iPhone 18 family of smartphones in 2026. Apple as a company is perfectionistic, where it won't release a product, especially something totally new for the company, unless it is as close to perfect as possible.

Apple's foldable iPhone has been in the rumor mill for ages now, expected to feature a high-quality liquid metal hinge for enhanced durability, with Bloomberg insider Mark Gurman saying that it wouldn't be a niche product, but it would stand out and be "crease-free" or as close to that as possible, and that it is "less noticeable" when the foldable iPhone is opened up, where the crease is "nearly invisible".

I guess we'll have to wait and see... its smartphone competitor -- Samsung -- will be revealing its tri-fold Galaxy Z Trifold smartphone in the coming days, with families of foldable Galaxy series smartphones, while Apple has nothing, and could have its foldable iPhone still over a year away.