Apple is set to launch a 7.6-inch folding iPhone in 2026, with Samsung Display (SDC) expected to be the exclusive supplier of its OLED panels, capturing about 40% of Samsung's total foldable panel shipments.
According to The Elec, citing market research firm Counterpoint, Apple will develop the folding iPhone using an in-fold screen design. SDC is expanding its A4 production line to support this, aiming to secure a monthly capacity of 30,000 panels by the second quarter of 2026. Currently, SDC's A4 line produces panels for Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S series flagship phones and foldables, as well as Apple's iPhone and iPad devices.
Reports from TechRadar and Tom's Guide suggest that mass production of Apple's foldable OLED panels will begin in mid-2026, aligning with Apple's typical late-year iPhone release cycle. Samsung's dedicated 8.6-generation OLED production line is expected to go live around the same time, giving it the production scale needed to fulfill Apple's initial order of an estimated 6-8 million foldable units.
The OLED panels for the folding iPhone will reportedly utilize low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) thin-film transistor (TFT) technology and adopt color-on-encapsulation (CoE) without polarizers.
With the folding iPhone's debut, global shipments of in-fold OLED displays are forecasted to surge 89% year-over-year in 2026, followed by a 48% increase in 2027. Apple's demand for these panels is expected to triple by 2027.
Counterpoint expects double-digit growth in the in-fold OLED panel market through 2029, during which SDC will maintain its leadership among foldable panel suppliers, closely trailed by China's BOE.
As Samsung plans to release a tri-fold phone in the second half of 2025, shipments of multi-fold OLED panels—defined as screens that fold two or more times—are projected to grow 28% in 2025. However, vertical fold OLED panel shipments are expected to decline 23% over the same period.
According to 9to5Mac, analysts note that while SDC may initially serve as the sole supplier, Apple could later introduce LG Display or BOE as secondary partners to diversify its supply chain.
Article edited by Jack Wu
