Apple will launch its first foldable iPhone in September 2026 as part of the iPhone 18 lineup, according to JPMorgan. In a market research note

“When the company introduces its first foldable iPhone at the end of next year, it will be entering a product category that’s already seven years old—pioneered and dominated by its biggest hardware rival, Samsung Electronics Co. And this time, Apple won’t be debuting a radically new interface or transformative hardware,” writes Gurman.

Geopolitical risk makes that market even more volatile. A crackdown from Beijing on American tech companies could force Apple to exit,” wrote PYMNTS CEO Karen Webster, pointing out the delicate spot Apple is standing on as it is poised to release what could be its most ambitious device ever: a foldable iPhone.