Apple’s first foldable phone is expected to be launched in the second half of 2026, and the details of the handset and its suppliers have been leaked. According to the details shared by TF Securities International Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the alleged iPhone fold will have a folding screen designed by the Samsung display. It is said to be equipped with a display metal plate (or internal hinges) developed by another South Korean firm that currently supplies the internal hinges for Samsung’s own foldable phone.
How can Samsung display build crease-free panel for iPhone fold
Kuo claims that their latest industry survey has shown that Apple will use Creese-Free Foldable Screen designed by Samsung displayInstead of using your own design. While the iPhone manufacturer usually prefers to use his own designs for components, the analyst claims that the decision to use Samsung’s solution was taken to ensure the “stable mass production” of the handset.
Samsung’s foldable phones, including recently launched Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7, are equipped with internal hinges supplied by Fine M-TEC, a contract maker in South Korea. Apple has allegedly exploited the same firm to supply 80 percent of the internal hinges required to produce its first foldable smartphone.
According to the analyst, Lalit M-TEC and Samsung Display have designed a foldable display solution that includes the use of microstructure made using lasers. The production of these internal hinges is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2026, and the M-TEC will reportly increase production capacity in its convenience in Vietnam.
Kuo also predicts that the Fix M-TEC will produce between 13 and 15 million internal hinges for foldable iPhone in 2026, but it is not an indicator of how many phones are expected to ship next year. Many of these hinges will be used by the iPhone manufacturer’s service centers and repair partners, and are also expected to include the loss of yield.
This is not the first time whether the details of foldable iPhone (or iPhone fold) have surfaced online. Earlier this year, a report indicated that Apple would rely on the Samsung display to produce OLED panels on the first foldable iPhone of the Cupertino company. Other suppliers of Apple, BOE (Jingdongfang) and LG, have allegedly unable to give a crease-free display like Samsung, which is leading to choosing Samsung as the sole supplier for these panels.
