Apple working on foldable iPhone and iPad, may launch in 2026

Before launching foldable iPhones, Apple is expected to first introduce slimmest iPhone model and a smart home device in 2025.

Apple is making big inroads in emerging markets like India and Brazil with record double-digit growth in terms of iPhone sales.

However, in the US, China, and Europe, the company's biggest markets, there is a slowdown. More and more people have begun hanging on to older iPhones a bit longer than they usually do, as there is hardly any groundbreaking innovation in new models.

Well, things are about to change for good at Apple starting in 2025. The Cupertino-based technology major will first introduce the company's thinnest iPhone in September next year.

It is expected to feature a slim profile with less than 8mm thickness, reported Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with Apple's plan.

Due to design constraints, Apple is said to be using simplified camera hardware and may cost much less than standard iPhone and iPhone Pro variants.

Apple, which is said to have been working on foldable displays for past few years, is almost ready with two devices with bendable display panels. One is said to be a foldable iPhone with significantly bigger screen real estate compared to the current iPhone 16 Pro Max, which by the way comes in a 6.9-inch screen, the largest to date in the iPhone segment.

If things go as planned, the foldable iPhone is expected to make its global debut in 2026. If Apple finds any issues with a foldable display in terms of quality issues, it may get delayed by another year.

And, the second device is said to be a hybrid iPad. When unfurled, it can spread up to 19-inch screen, WSJ reported. It is likely to be introduced after the foldable iPhone launch.

In a related development, Apple has plans to enter the smart home sector in 2025. The product code-named J490 is said to be an iPad-like tablet device with a 6-inch touch display, a camera and a speaker. It will also come with a mountable accessory to dock the device on the walls of a kitchen, a living room or in the bedroom.

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