It's widely assumed that Apple's been working on a foldable iPhone to take on similar devices from Samsung, Motorola, Google and OnePlus. There's less agreement on when such a device — whether it's called the iPhone Flip or goes by some other name — would appear.
Korean news outlet Alpha Business is the latest to try and put a date on a foldable iPhone launch, claiming that the device will arrive in early 2027. That's according to a source who claims to have knowledge of Apple's plans.
It's not the first time Alpha Business has attempted to pin a date on the iPhone Flip. An earlier report citing a different source had said that 2026 would be the year we saw a foldable iPhone.
As it so happens, this latest Alpha Business report on Apple's foldable phone plans comes at the same time that a Samsung Securities report detailing Apple product launch plans for the next three years has surfaced. That report also lists 2026 as the launch date for a foldable iPhone with a folding tablet following in 2027.
So the definitive word on any iPhone Flip launch? Your guess is as good as ours.
Apple has been notoriously absent from the foldable phones market, even as many of its competitors have come out with phones in recent years. Samsung is likely readying the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 for a launch later this year, while Google and OnePlus entered the market in 2023 with the Pixel Fold and OnePlus Open, respectively. Motorola makes foldable flip phones, too, with a new Motorola Razr Plus rumored to be in development.
Apple is said to be working on a clamshell-style foldable similar to the Motorola Razr Plus or Galaxy Z Flip 5. Some rumors suggest an 8-inch display when Apple's device is fully open, while others have speculated that Apple might come out with a folding tablet first.
Whether foldable iPad or foldable iPhone, the release date for this rumored device has felt like a moving target. Earlier reports had said Apple was eyeing a 2024 foldable iPhone release after a 2023 launch never happened. These days, you find launch predictions ranging from next year to 2027.
Of course, Apple isn’t talking about its future plans, including the possibility of launching a foldable iPhone. So for now, we’re left with these rumors. And judging by the sound of the latest one, we're going to have plenty of time to hear more about the iPhone Flip before its likely arrival date.
