Apple’s foldable iPhone still faces production hurdles that leave its exact launch timeline undecided, according to a new report from DigiTimeseven as Foxconn makes what supply chain sources describe as “final adjustments to mass production.”
The report said Apple tasked Foxconn with leading the device from new product introduction (NPI) through mass production, citing the assembler’s experience with precision structural components and large-scale production tuning. An industry source said Foxconn was Apple’s only partner with a realistic chance of meeting the expected production target.
The framing runs somewhat counter to recent reports. Foxconn began trial production in April, Apple later increased its order to around 10 million units thanks to fixing hinge and circuit board issues, and just two weeks ago, a China Securities Journal report aggregated by DigiTimes said the device was already in mass production with no delays anticipated. Today’s report instead indicates that the technical validation phase may have caused a delay of one to two months, with the hinge structure and screen durability testing remaining the main bottlenecks.
The foldable iPhone is at least expected to be revealed alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in September, with a book-style design, an interior screen of around 7.7-7.8 inches, a cover screen of 5.5 inches, a thickness of around 4.5mm, and a starting price above $2,000.
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