Apple’s first foldable iPhone has reportedly worked through the hinge problems that fueled speculation of a delay, with mass production now expected to start next month, according to a new report from The Elec. The timeline keeps the device on pace for a September launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models.
What went wrong with the hinge
According to The Elec’s sources, the hinge mechanism produced a slight noise after durability testing that put it through millions of fold cycles. Manufacturing tolerances on parts of the assembly process also ran wider than expected, pushing defect rates higher than Apple wanted. A Taiwan-based industry source has now revealed that most of these problems have been worked out.
The report also adds some clarity to a timeline that’s shifted before. In March, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claimed that the foldable wouldn’t ship alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in September. However, he reversed course a few weeks later, saying the device was back on track for that same window even though he noted production hadn’t yet ramped up.
What the device looks like so far
Leaks suggest Apple’s first foldable could feature a 7.8-inch foldable OLED main display supplied by Samsung that integrates the color filter directly into the panel instead of using a separate layer, a design meant to make the screen thinner.
The device is also said to include a 5.5-inch cover screen, Apple’s A20 chip, a C2 modem, two rear cameras, and a power button with an integrated Touch ID sensor instead of Face ID. Pricing is expected to land somewhere around $2,000, and Apple may market the device as the iPhone Ultra.
A foldable iPhone has been years in the making, and Apple is clearly taking its time to get the hinge right before shipping. The late launch could work in its favor if it means avoiding the early hinge and durability complaints that have dogged other first-gen foldables.
