Apple's foldable iPhone is still expected to be released in September.

This week, Asian media reported that the engineering problems of the foldable iPhone are more complex than Apple expected, and it will take more time to solve these problems. Moreover, in the worst - case scenario, the release of this foldable device could be postponed by several months. In addition, other media also hinted that there might be late - stage obstacles in the production process.

However, a series of Wall Street figures, including those from Morgan Stanley, expect that Apple's foldable iPhone is still expected to be released in September. The device will be priced at over $2000 and is a key part of Apple's plan to reshape its iPhone product line.

Erik Woodring, an analyst at Morgan Stanley, said that his supply - chain investigations show that the foldable iPhone is still expected to be released as scheduled in September. In a report sent to clients, he pointed out that it is not uncommon for Apple to encounter problems during the new product testing phase, but these problems are usually resolved.

"To date, we have not found any delays in the release time of the foldable iPhone. An iPhone component supplier told us earlier today that they have not received any order adjustments regarding the foldable iPhone. Therefore, we maintain our forecast for iPhone shipments and seasonal trends in 2026 unchanged," he wrote.

Woodring rates Apple as "Overweight" with a target price of $315. He said that to interpret these conflicting reports, historical context needs to be considered. He further pointed out that Apple usually conducts "multi - stage" testing, namely engineering verification testing (EVT), to verify the functions and design of its products and ensure that no problems occur during mass production.

Although Apple's EVT testing has always been carried out between June and August, the EVT testing for the foldable iPhone has already started. Woodring believes that this indicates that Apple may have "encountered minor engineering problems" that require further attention, perhaps related to the screen hinge of the upcoming foldable phone.

"Since Apple is still in the early stage of the EVT phase, it is currently impossible to fully determine how any minor engineering problems will affect the release time of the foldable iPhone. Therefore, the possibility of a release delay still exists," he wrote.

"However, based on our verification of the supply chain and other public reports, the shipment volume and release time of the foldable screen components have not changed. We believe that Apple will solve this problem before mass production this summer, thus ensuring that the foldable iPhone can be released on time in September 2026," he added.

Amit Daryananiye, an analyst at Evercore ISI, said that a release delay of the foldable iPhone is "unlikely." He expects this phone to be released together with the iPhone 18 series in September. He

"We would also like to point out that the news released by this media is in line with its rhythm of releasing iPhone production reports every year, but these reports have always been inaccurate," he wrote in a report.

In addition, Mark Gurman, a well - known tech leaker, also reported that people familiar with the matter revealed that Apple's first foldable phone will be launched as planned later this year during the company's regular iPhone release period. Gurman is widely regarded as one of the most reliable journalists regarding Apple's internal plans.

It is reported that the above - mentioned people familiar with the matter also said that although the complex characteristics of the new display and materials may limit the supply volume in the first few weeks, Apple still plans to launch this model at the same time as the new non - foldable iPhone or shortly after the new non - foldable model is launched.

"However, there are still six months until the product's release, and mass production has not started yet, which means that the release time has not been finally determined," Gurman added.

This article is from the WeChat official account "Kechuang Daily", author: Huang Junzhi. Republished by 36Kr with authorization.