Samsung Electronics created a stir last week with the release of two new folding-screen smartphones. But don't expect such a device from Apple until late 2026. And even then, quantities will be limited for the premium-priced handset, an Apple stock analyst says.
South Korea-based Samsung introduced its Galaxy Z Fold7 and Galaxy Z Flip7 handsets on July 7. The Fold device looks like a traditional smartphone but opens like a book to expose an 8-inch display. The Flip is a clamshell-like device that unfolds to look like a regular smartphone.
In a client note Monday, UBS analyst Jimmy Yoon said Apple is planning to release a "book-type" folding-screen iPhone in the second half of 2026. Apple's supply chain partners are close to finalizing the specifications for the "iPhone Fold," he said.
The initial production likely will be limited to about 10 million to 15 million units in the first full year, Yoon said. Volumes will be kept low because the high price of the device will limit demand, he said.
Press reports indicate that the iPhone Fold could cost $2,000 to $2,400, he said.
UBS rates Apple stock as neutral with a price target of 210.
On the stock market today, Apple stock fell 1.2% to close at 208.62.
Samsung released its first folding-screen smartphone in 2019 and has been on an annual update cadence. The Fold7 and Flip7 are its seventh-generation folding smartphones.
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