By Ed Hardy •
Apple is reportedly ramping up its supply of a critical component for the foldable iPhone, even as the broader market for foldable smartphones shows signs of slowing.
According to a supply chain report published Tuesday, the company increased its orders of foldable display panels by roughly 20%, a move that signals growing confidence in the long-rumored device.
Foldable phones have been on the market since 2019, but demand remains softer than expected, with many consumers sticking to traditional smartphone designs. The category makes up perhaps 2% of the global market. Perhaps buyers are simply waiting for Apple to make one… it’s taken many formerly niche products mainstream over the decades.
Apple’s decision to boost component inventory for the folding iPhone certainly suggests it’s feeling optimistic. The report comes from Digitimes, who said, “Apple has reportedly increased its foldable display panel inventory by 20% for its first foldable phone.”
The report doesn’t indicate the exact number of folding iPhone units Apple intended to produce. However, Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst with TF International Securities, predicted that there could be 8 million to 10 million units assembled for sale in 2026. If Digitimes’ sources are correct, that number could now be up to between 9.6 million and 12 million units.
Speaking of accuracy, Digitimes has strong connections to Asian supply chains, which means they often get early signals about production timing, component orders and manufacturing issues. So this report likely isn’t leaking out of Apple, but from a company supplying display panels for the device.
Industry observers say Apple’s entry could reshape the foldable category, drawing strong attention from buyers and potentially accelerating adoption. There are certainly millions of possible customers. iPhone users — which make up more than half of US phone users — haven’t had an opportunity to try a foldable before.
That said, the device, which will supposedly be dubbed the iPhone Ultra, will face many of the same headwinds as other foldables. Many people express doubt about the whole idea of flexible screens, and others are turned off by a price likely to be around $2,000.
But for now, Apple’s uptick in component orders offers signs that development of the folding iPhone is advancing and preparations for production are underway.
Two touchscreens can be expected in the handset: an outer one about 5.5 inches, and an inner foldable one that measures 7.6 to 7.8 inches. Reports also point to iOS 27 gaining much better support for multitasking on a larger screen.
The launch is expected in the fall of this year. That’s if Apple can make necessary deadlines. It might be facing some intense technical challenges as it races to finish up final testing of the folding phone.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.
That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)
Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
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