Apple doesn't enter categories to be second—they reshape them
After years of deliberate absence, Apple appears ready to step into the foldable device market — not with a single cautious experiment, but with two distinct products aimed at different human needs. Reports from analyst Jeff Pu suggest a foldable iPad-MacBook hybrid and a folding iPhone are both targeted for 2026, marking Apple's formal acknowledgment that the era of the rigid screen may be giving way to something more fluid. The company enters a space where Samsung has spent nearly a decade learning, yet Apple's history suggests that arriving late and arriving differently are not always the same thing.
- Apple has reportedly committed to supply agreements and assigned an internal codename — V68 — signaling these foldables have crossed from speculation into active development.
- Samsung's eight-generation lead in the foldable space creates a formidable benchmark, with years of consumer feedback and manufacturing refinement already baked into its competing devices.
- A staggered 2026 launch — the large iPad-MacBook hybrid in Q2, the foldable iPhone potentially alongside the iPhone 18 in September — suggests Apple is managing risk by spacing its category bets.
- The choice of a top-down Flip-style fold for the iPhone, rather than a book-style design, indicates Apple has studied the market and is targeting the form factor with the broadest consumer appeal.
- Apple's characteristic silence on unannounced products keeps all timelines uncertain, leaving the industry to read supply chain signals and analyst reports rather than any official confirmation.
For years, Apple has watched competitors fold their way into a new device category while remaining conspicuously absent. That posture may be shifting. According to analyst Jeff Pu, Apple is preparing two foldable products for 2026: a large hybrid device that blurs the line between iPad and MacBook with an 18.8-inch display, and a foldable iPhone designed to challenge Samsung's popular Flip series.
The larger device is expected in the second quarter of 2026, with the foldable iPhone following later that year, potentially alongside the iPhone 18 launch in September. The staggered rollout is consistent with how Apple has historically managed major category entries — giving itself room to refine each product before it reaches consumers.
The foldable iPhone carries the internal codename V68 and has reportedly advanced to the point of supplier negotiations. Its design is said to feature a top-down folding mechanism, mirroring the Flip's form factor rather than the book-style fold of Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold line — a choice that suggests Apple views the clamshell design as the more commercially compelling direction for a first entry.
Notably, Apple has reportedly signed supply agreements with Samsung itself for foldable display technology, a pragmatic acknowledgment of Samsung's manufacturing expertise. Yet Samsung will still hold an eight-generation head start by the time Apple's device reaches shelves — a substantial advantage in a category where durability, hinge mechanics, and software adaptation have all required years of iteration.
What remains open is how Apple will price and position these devices within its ecosystem, and whether its design philosophy can carve out meaningful differentiation in a market that competitors have spent years shaping. Apple has a history of entering mature categories and redefining them — but whether that pattern extends to foldables will only become clear as 2026 draws closer.
For years, Apple has watched from the sidelines as Samsung, Vivo, OnePlus, and nearly every other major smartphone maker folded their way into a new category of device. The company that prides itself on setting trends has, in this case, been notably absent. That may be about to change. According to reports citing analyst Jeff Pu, Apple is preparing to enter the foldable market in 2026 with not one but two devices—a hybrid iPad and MacBook with an 18.8-inch display that folds open, and a foldable iPhone designed to compete directly with Samsung's popular Flip series.
The timeline suggests Apple is moving with deliberate speed. The larger device, a full-screen machine that blurs the line between tablet and laptop, is expected to arrive in the second quarter of 2026. The foldable iPhone would follow later that year, potentially arriving alongside the iPhone 18 series in September. This staggered approach gives Apple room to refine each product before launch, a pattern consistent with how the company has historically managed major category entries.
The foldable iPhone is particularly significant because it represents Apple's answer to Samsung's dominance in the space. Samsung has already released six generations of its Galaxy Flip phone, and by the time Apple's device reaches consumers, the South Korean company will have accumulated eight generations of experience and refinement. That head start is substantial. Yet Apple has reportedly already signed supply agreements with Samsung for the foldable display technology itself—a pragmatic move that acknowledges Samsung's expertise while allowing Apple to focus on integration and design. Internally, the project carries the codename V68, suggesting it has moved well beyond the conceptual stage.
Earlier reporting indicated that Apple's foldable iPhone development has progressed to the point where the company approached Asian suppliers about manufacturing components. The design is said to feature a top-down folding mechanism similar to the Flip, rather than the book-like fold that characterizes Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold series. This choice suggests Apple sees the Flip's form factor as the more compelling direction, at least for its first entry into the category.
The larger foldable device—the iPad and MacBook hybrid—has apparently been in development for some time. When unfolded, it would present an 18.8-inch display, creating a canvas large enough to function as either a tablet or a laptop depending on how it's used and what software runs on it. This blurs Apple's own product boundaries in interesting ways, raising questions about whether it would run iOS, macOS, or some combination designed specifically for the form factor.
As with all Apple announcements, official confirmation remains absent. The company has a well-established pattern of keeping future products secret until the moment of reveal, and it has not even formally acknowledged the iPhone 16, which could launch within weeks of this reporting. That silence makes the 2026 timeline somewhat speculative, though the consistency of reports from multiple sources and analysts suggests the plans are real and reasonably advanced.
What remains uncertain is how Apple will position these devices in its ecosystem, what they will cost, and whether the company's design philosophy can meaningfully differentiate its foldables from competitors who have already spent years refining the category. Samsung's eight-generation advantage is real, but Apple has a history of entering mature categories and reshaping them through design and integration. Whether that pattern holds for foldables will become clearer as 2026 approaches.
Notable Quotes
Apple is preparing to enter the foldable market in 2026 with two devices—a hybrid iPad and MacBook with an 18.8-inch display, and a foldable iPhone designed to compete with Samsung's Flip series— Analyst Jeff Pu, cited in reports
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does it matter that Apple is entering the foldable market now, when Samsung has been doing this for years?
Because Apple doesn't enter categories to be second. When they do move into an established space, they typically reshape it. But more immediately, their entry signals that foldables are no longer experimental—they're becoming mainstream. Apple's seal of approval matters to consumers and to the entire industry.
Samsung already has eight generations of the Flip. How does Apple catch up?
They don't catch up in the traditional sense. They're buying Samsung's display technology, which is smart—no need to reinvent the wheel. What Apple does is design the entire experience around the fold. The software, the hinge, how apps respond to the form factor. That's where differentiation happens.
What about the larger device—the foldable iPad-MacBook thing? That seems more experimental.
It is. That one is genuinely new territory. Apple is essentially asking whether a single device can serve both purposes. It's a bigger bet than the foldable iPhone, which is a proven form factor they're adapting.
Do we know anything concrete about what these will actually do or cost?
Not really. Apple hasn't said a word officially. We know the display sizes, the rough timeline, and that the iPhone version will fold top-to-bottom like the Flip. Beyond that, it's educated guessing. Apple could price these as premium products or use them to redefine what a foldable should be.
Why the secrecy? Why not announce these now?
That's just how Apple operates. They control the narrative by controlling the reveal. It builds anticipation and prevents competitors from copying details before launch. It also gives them time to finalize everything without public pressure or speculation affecting development.