The latest phone manufacturer to jump on the foldable phone trend? Apple. The tech titan might be releasing the first ever foldable iPhone as early as 2026, following the footsteps of Samsung, who launched their first foldable phone back in 2019, The Information reports.

Heard this before? Apple has been tinkering with the concept for a while, but it seems that they’ve finally nailed down the design and functionality issues that have been plaguing the project. Apple has placed orders for components for the foldable phone from Chinese suppliers, insider sources told the news outlet, adding that the product has been assigned the internal code V68.

This would go down in history as Apple’s biggest ever hardware redesign. The hardware update is expected to attract a new subset of customers as the foldable smartphone market, dominated by Samsung and Huawei, reported a growth of 49% in Q1 2024 in comparison to Q1 2023. Another reported update is an added mechanical aperture system to cameras on unspecified iPhone models that will allow for more sophisticated photography.

It’s worth noting that just because a foldable iPhone is in development doesn’t mean that it’ll see the light of day. Apple’s production line once included the AirPower charging mat, an EV, and a TV.

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