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Recent supply chain reports indicate that Apple has asked its partners to prepare production capacity for approximately 10 million foldable iPhones, higher than the previous expectation of 7 to 8 million units. This figure does not represent final sales, but it represents a remarkably bold move for Apple’s first foray into the foldable screen market.
Apple is still reserving production capacity for new iPhones in the second half of 2026, potentially reaching 85 million units, including the iPhone 18 Pro series and its first foldable iPhone. In contrast, brands like Xiaomi and OPPO have begun to scale back some of their production plans due to rising costs of memory chips and other components. Apple’s continued increase in production at this time is clearly not just a matter of boldness.
Its advantage lies in its sheer size. Apple can secure key components earlier and has better leverage to negotiate prices with suppliers. Furthermore, the higher profit margins of the iPhone mean it is more resilient to cost fluctuations than most other smartphone manufacturers.
Of course, a strong supply chain doesn’t guarantee consumers a cheap foldable iPhone. The costs of the screen, hinge, and assembly are all fixed, so the final price is unlikely to be friendly. For John Tenus, who will take over as CEO in September, the real challenge isn’t manufacturing the phone, but convincing users that even though Apple entered the foldable market so late, this product is still worth the higher price.
Apple’s tradition of updating iPhones every September has become a fixed practice. However, with the iPhone 18, this rhythm may be broken.
According to the supply chain, the iPhone 17 series is still selling well, but Apple has asked its partners to reserve common chips and components for the next generation of products. While ostensibly preparing for the new models, this also indicates that this year’s production capacity arrangements will be more complex than in the past.
One widely circulated plan is to release the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max, and the first foldable iPhone in the fall of 2026, while the standard iPhone 18 and the next-generation iPhone Air will be delayed until early 2027. Apple has not officially confirmed this, but suppliers have mentioned that a major US customer has indeed postponed a new product to the first quarter of 2027, lending some credibility to the phased release rumor.
For Apple, releasing new products in a disassembled manner is not difficult to understand. High-end models and foldable screen phones debut first, avoiding competition for attention with the lower-priced standard versions; another batch of products is then released a few months later, ensuring the entire year’s new product release schedule isn’t crammed into September. As for whether this is to extend the sales cycle of the iPhone 17, it’s too early to say for sure.
The foldable iPhone itself also faces some uncertainties. The supply chain has repeatedly reported issues with engineering verification and mass production yield rates. The foldable screen, hinge, and large-scale assembly could all affect the final schedule. Creating a usable prototype is clearly not the same as stably producing tens of millions of phones.
Therefore, the standard iPhone 18 and the next-generation iPhone Air are more likely to be postponed to early 2027. Whether the foldable screen will also be affected by a timeline adjustment remains unclear. Apple may indeed be changing its release schedule, but until an official announcement is made, this can only be considered an increasingly plausible supply chain plan.
The iPhone Air product line may not be the “one-off experiment” many initially thought. It does seem like a practice run for foldable screens. Once the body is made thin enough, how to arrange the battery, heat dissipation, and internal space are issues Apple will have to face sooner or later. However, if a second-generation Air follows quickly, it also indicates that Apple may not just want to use it to test the market, but rather plans to keep a thin and light model in the iPhone lineup for a long time.
This will likely cause some hesitation for those planning to upgrade their phones this year. According to current leaks, the iPhone 18 Pro series and foldable phones may be released first this fall, while the standard iPhone 18 will have to wait until spring 2027. The next-generation Air may also be released around that time, but the schedule is not yet fully confirmed.
Those who want to buy the Pro version won’t be significantly affected; they can simply wait until September. However, those who prioritize the standard version’s price or simply prefer the lightweight feel of the Air might face a longer wait—not just a month or two, but potentially spanning the entire Chinese New Year period.
Apple’s willingness to make these adjustments is also related to its supply chain resources. By 2025, Apple’s global smartphone shipments have surpassed Samsung’s. To maintain this position, it is now securing not only chip production capacity but also high-end fiberglass materials needed for chip manufacturing.
These materials are also widely used in AI chips, and Apple faces competition not only from other phone manufacturers. Companies like Nvidia are also vying for limited upstream production capacity. Apple can design its own chips, but it cannot manufacture all the components out of thin air. Even the strongest bargaining power depends on the premise that suppliers actually have the goods available.
Whether a foldable iPhone is worth waiting for is too early to say for everyone. If your current phone can last another year and you’re genuinely interested in Apple’s foldable screen, then wait until the fall to see. It’s not surprising that the first-generation product is expensive, has limited supply, and may even have some issues that only surface with long-term use.
If you’re in a rush to buy a new phone, there’s no need to put all your hopes on this one. Apple’s entry into the foldable screen market is worth paying attention to, but “Apple finally did it” and “the first generation is worth buying” are two different things.
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