Apple's first foldable iPhone may use technology from the slim iPhone 17 Air

Apple is expected to release its first 'foldable iPhone' in 2026. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, who is familiar with Apple-related inside information, has predicted that the foldable iPhone will use technology from the slim iPhone 17 Air, which is scheduled to be released in 2025.

Apple (AAPL) Explores Turning Watches Into Wearable AI Devices with Cameras - Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2025-03-23/apple-aapl-explores-turning-watches-into-wearable-ai-devices-with-cameras-m8ll6mvy

Report: Foldable iPhone to launch 'next year', utilizing technologies from iPhone 17 Air - 9to5Mac
https://9to5mac.com/2025/03/23/foldable-iphone-next-year-17-air-tech/

Apple had filed a patent for a folding smartphone in 2017 and had also collaborated with LG to develop a ' foldable OLED display ,' suggesting that the company was planning to develop a foldable iPhone.

Foreign media outlets such as The Information have reported that Apple plans to release a foldable iPhone in 2026.

Apple plans to release a foldable smartphone in 2026, iPhone 17 may have a mechanical aperture on the camera - GIGAZINE

Bloomberg's Gurman wrote about his outlook for a foldable iPhone at the end of an article reporting on Apple's plans to equip the Apple Watch with a camera and AI capabilities. In it, Gurman predicts that Apple's foldable iPhone will be a horizontal fold type like Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold series, rather than a vertical fold type (clamshell type) that folds closer to a square when folded.

Gurman also said he expects the same technology as the thin model 'iPhone 17 Air' scheduled to be released in 2025 to be used in the foldable iPhone. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be a model with a thinner body than other iPhones, like the 'MacBook Air' of the MacBook.

A dummy model leaked in March 2025 showed that the iPhone 17 Air will be 156.18mm long x 74.71mm wide x 5.65mm thick, making it 2-3mm thinner than other models. The display will be 6.6 inches, falling between the iPhone 17 Pro (6.3 inches) and the iPhone 17 Pro Max (6.9 inches).

Dummy models of the iPhone 17 series have been leaked, revealing the size of each model, with the Pro series having a larger protrusion in the camera part and the Air being a thin, monocular camera - GIGAZINE

The iPhone 17 Air has a single camera in order to achieve a slim design, and there are compromises in the speakers and other areas, but apart from that, it is said to have full iPhone functionality and long battery life.

Technology media 9to5Mac said, 'In a way, this smartphone (iPhone 17 Air) serves as a thought exercise for how to pack as many components as possible into such a thin device, which is important when developing a foldable smartphone.'

Gurman expects the foldable iPhone to cost around $2,000, and while shipments may be sporadic at first, he expects the higher price will be a big boost to sales.