Apple has been rumored to be working on a folding iPhone for years, with the device reportedly set to hit the market in late 2026 or early 2027. Apple is also said to be looking to avoid creating an iPhone with a noticeable crease. The company may have found a way around this.
According to a report by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple will be using displays from Samsung Display Corporation, which has developed a crease-free display for folding phones. To prevent creasing, the display uses metal plates created by Fine M-Tec, a manufacturer of components. The incorporation of metal plates helps “distribute and control bending stress,” according to Kuo. This technique would help minimize creasing over time. SDC etches microstructures into the plates to guide stress distribution, but the company will instead use laser drilling in order “to meet Apple’s stricter crease-free display requirements.” Kuo has also noted that this is a more expensive procedure that may affect the final price of the iPhone.
Per Kuo’s most recent note, Fine M-Tec is expected to begin shipping the folding iPhone’s metal plates in the first quarter of 2026, a move which sets up mass production of the device for the first half of next year. Kuo stated that Fine M-Tec is the plate supplier for Samsung’s foldable phones, but does not specifically say if Samsung is using the same method on the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which is also visibly crease-free.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via Macworld and mingchikuo.craft.me