Apple's foldable iPhone plans could be more ambitious than initially thought

There have been plenty of rumours over the last couple of months suggesting Apple is working on a folding phone. Many point towards a release in 2026, with the device thought to be arriving alongside the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18 Pro, though a new report has now claimed Apple could produce significantly more units than most initially thought.

According to a now-deleted ET News story, which was picked up by MacRumors, Apple has reportedly ordered 22 million OLED panels from Samsung Display for the first folding iPhone.

What could a folding iPhone involve?

ET News reportedly claimed Samsung Display would be mass producing 11 million in-wards folding displays and 11 million external displays for Apple, and would be the exclusive supplier of the displays. The numbers suggest Apple is planning to produce a total of around 10 million finished devices, which would be around 30 per cent more than what previous industry expectations predicated.

To put that into some perspective, it is thought the global foldable market annually hovers just above 20 million units.

The ET News report also reiterated a number of the previous rumours surrounding the folding iPhone, suggesting it would have a book-style design like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 with an inward folding design. It’s thought it will have a 5.35-inch external display, opening up to a 7.58-inch internal display and it is said it will have an advanced hinge design and special materials to minimise the crease on the internal display.

There’s also talk that Apple will adopt Color Filter on Encapsulation (COE), which is said to help reduce thickness and improve the brightness of the display by removing the polarising layer and integrating it directly into the OLED panel. An under-display camera has also been suggested.

For now, a folding iPhone is far from official so how many of these rumours will become a reality is unclear for now. If Apple is planning to produce 10 million however, it would suggest it really does think it’s the right time hop on the folding phone trend.