The impending release of the iPhone Fold will arguably be the biggest shakeup to the iPhone lineup in years. Normally a new Apple product means some new innovation that alters the way rival products are made and sold afterwards. But according to Mark Gurman, the first foldable iPhone may not be as innovative as some might hope — at least not at first.
As Gurman points out, a lot of Apple's new products arrive fairly early on — even if Apple is rarely the first to market. That's being turned on its head with foldables, since they've been around since in 2018, and the market is pretty much dominated by Samsung.
With that in mind, Gurman claims Apple won't be releasing a "radically new interface or transformative hardware." Instead we're looking at something that isn't going to look too dissimilar to a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold. The foldable is said to come with the same core components including, as has previously been reported, a foldable OLED screen made by Samsung Display.
Considering how well made the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is, Gurman notes that "Samsung has already taken care of much of the heavy lifting," meaning, "Apple's first foldable won’t break any technological barriers or redefine the category."
Apple is still Apple
Which may not matter. Not only does Apple command intense brand loyalty, it's also pretty skilled in the marketing department. That means there's already an established market of people that could potentially pick up the iPhone Fold. Including plenty of people who may already want one of the best foldables, but aren't willing to swap to Android.
Still, Gurman is quick to point out the phone won't just be a "carbon copy" of the Z Fold 7. He reiterated previous reports, noting Apple is focussed on fixing some of foldables' biggest issues. That includes making the crease less prominent and improving the design of the hinge — not to mention the software features coded into iOS.
This, of course, doesn't discount the possibility Apple will be more innovative with future foldable devices. Whether it be a new iPhone Fold generation, or the rumored foldable iPad that could be arriving in the near future.
The iPhone Fold is expected to arrive in late 2026, alongside iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. While we wait for that launch window, you can check out our iPhone Fold hub for all the latest news and rumors about the phone.
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