Report: Apple's First Foldable iPhone Expected to Enter Mass Production in Late July, September Launch Plan Unchanged
Claire Weston
Apple's first foldable iPhone will enter mass production in late July, with the September launch plan intact, according to *The Elec*; earlier hinge issues are largely resolved, signaling the device has moved from rumor to countdown.
Where does the production timeline stand?
Apple completed its first trial-production run in April this year, validating design, component compatibility, and assembly processes.
Core specs — display, body structure, mechanical parts — are now finalized. The project has entered mass-production prep.
This means → the product-definition phase is over. What remains is the production ramp — late July start, with Foxconn handling initial capacity.
Who supplies the screen and the hinge?
The foldable OLED panel comes from Samsung Display. Its Vietnam factory has received Apple's mass-production approval; module work — bonding driver circuits, flex PCBs, protective layers — is ready.
The hinge is co-supplied by Taiwan's Shin Zu Shing and U.S.-based Amphenol, both using 3D-printing to produce the hinge modules.
In plain terms = screen from Samsung, hinge from two precision manufacturers — Apple assigned the foldable's two hardest components to the top specialists in each field.
Were the reported hinge problems fixed?
A Taiwanese supply-chain source said the hinge developed slight noise after millions of durability-test cycles; tolerance control on some assembly steps also exceeded targets, raising early defect rates.
The source said "most of these issues have now been resolved."
This means → the hinge was the biggest uncertainty, and that risk has narrowed sharply — but the wording is "most," not "all," suggesting Apple is still tightening quality control in the final stretch.
How will the September event shift?
A person at an Apple supply-chain company said: "This year's event will center on Pro, Pro Max, and Ultra — the foldable models."
The standard iPhone launch may be pushed to next spring as a result.
This reflects a major reshuffle of Apple's product-line cadence — the September spotlight is being handed to the foldable.
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