Author：Wall Street CN
Apple's first foldable iPhone is facing technical challenges in the engineering testing phase, and there is a risk of delays in mass production and shipping. This unexpected setback may impact the tech giant's carefully crafted market strategy around foldable screen products.
According to a Nikkei Asian Review report on Tuesday, multiple sources familiar with the matter revealed that...The problems encountered in the engineering development of the foldable iPhone are more complex than Apple anticipated, and the time required to resolve them is also longer than expected. In the worst case, the first shipment may be delayed by several months.
Some component suppliers have been notified that the production schedule for components for the foldable iPhone may be postponed.
“More problems have arisen in the early trial production phase than expected, requiring additional time to resolve and make necessary adjustments… The current situation may jeopardize the mass production timeline,” said a source familiar with the matter. The source further noted, “April will be a critical phase for engineering verification testing, and the period from this month to early May is an extremely critical window.”
The core issue is the engineering challenge, not the supply chain shortage.
According to another source familiar with the matter, the potential delays are not related to shortages of components and materials, but rather stem from the engineering challenges of Apple's first foldable iPhone.
“Apple and its supply chain are working under pressure to catch up, but the current solution is not enough to completely overcome the engineering challenges…more time is needed,” the person said.Each new iPhone model must go through a strictly planned process in order to ship on schedule by the end of September.
This process includes, in sequence: new product introduction, engineering verification testing, development verification testing, production verification testing, pilot production, and mass production. Each verification stage involves thousands to hundreds of thousands of test units to identify and fix engineering or design issues, while optimizing the manufacturing process to ensure that tens of millions of mobile phones can be produced smoothly and efficiently.
Foldable iPhones are a strategic focus of Apple's 2026 product line.
Apple has adjusted its 2026 iPhone release strategy, postponing production of the standard model to early 2027 to prioritize high-end models, including the foldable iPhone, and to more rationally allocate the tight supply of key resources such as memory chips.
According to a supply chain survey of industry executives and market experts conducted by Nikkei Asia, Apple plans to initially produce approximately 7 to 8 million foldable iPhones. The Cupertino, California-based tech giant has high hopes for this year's iPhone launch, expecting its first foldable product to simultaneously drive broader demand across its entire product line.
Foldable iPhones account for less than 10% of Apple's initial production plan for this year's new product line.Nevertheless, all parties in the supply chain still expect strong sales performance—introducing this new design requires a comprehensive upgrade of equipment, materials, and components, which will in turn bring higher profit margins to suppliers.
Several suppliers have expressed hope that Apple's entry into the foldable screen market will boost the overall foldable smartphone market and drive consumers to upgrade to higher-end products. Samsung Electronics and Huawei, the two main competitors, have launched multiple generations of foldable smartphones since 2019. Research firm IDC predicts that, driven by Apple's anticipated entry, foldable smartphone shipments will grow by approximately 30% in 2026. IDC data shows that global foldable smartphone shipments will reach approximately 20.6 million units in 2025, an increase of about 10% compared to 2024.
