IPhone Foldable Hinge Still Fails Apple’s Durability Test
What You Need to Know
- Chinese leaker claims foldable iPhone launching fall 2025 with iPhone 18, contradicting delay reports.
- Apple’s foldable display creasing resolved, but hinge reliability still fails internal durability standards.
- Barclays analyst suggests foldable could ship as late as December, three months after iPhone 18 Pro.
- Foldable iPhone expected to feature 7.8-inch inner display and A20 chip.
A Chinese leaker is pushing back on reports that Apple’s first foldable iPhone has slipped into 2026. In a post on Weibo, Fixed Focus Digital called delay rumors “false” and described suggestions of a next-year release as “far-fetched,” maintaining that the device will most likely launch alongside the iPhone 18 series this fall.
The leaker did leave a small opening: “Even if there is a delay, it would probably only be postponed by about one month before going on sale.” That is a narrower window than what analysts have floated. Barclays analyst Tim Long suggested the foldable could ship as late as December, a roughly three-month gap after the iPhone 18 Pro models.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman added weight to the delay camp in March, reporting the foldable may not reach customers in the same September window as the Pro lineup. A staggered launch would not be unprecedented for Apple. The iPhone X shipped in November 2017 while the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, announced at the same event, went on sale in September.
The hinge problem hasn’t gone away
The more telling detail in all of this is what the leaker from Instant Digital reported in May: Apple’s foldable design has largely resolved display creasing concerns, but long-term hinge reliability still hasn’t met the company’s internal standards. Hinge durability is exactly the kind of problem Apple would hold a product over, and persistent issues this close to an anticipated launch date are not a comfortable position.
The expected specs for the device include a 7.8-inch inner display, a 5.5-inch cover display, the A20 chip, a Touch ID power button, and two rear cameras. Pricing is rumored around $2,000, and the phone may launch under the iPhone Ultra name. Apple is expected to announce the foldable alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models regardless of when it actually ships to customers.
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