Despite a delay of nearly seven years from the release of the first commercial foldable phone to the present, Apple is expected to eventually release its own foldable iPhone.

We have been seeing rumors of a purported iPhone Flip for years, but the latest rumors suggest that it is actually becoming a concrete product.

According to Korean tipster Yeux1122 (via Jukanlosreve on X), the iPhone Flip is entering a “formal development process” with display manufacturers like LG Display and Samsung Display. The leaker states that this information came from “supply chain sources.”

We understand this to mean that Apple is working with display manufacturers to turn concept products into actual products. This means that prototypes are created, tested and refined, and towards the latter part of the phase, the devices are prepared for release on the production line and for marketing.

Simply, Apple wants to make a folding phone, and the leaker states that Apple “previously addressed the technology and key requirements piecemeal” (machine translation).

If Apple is just entering the development phase of a foldable iPhone, the new device is not expected to appear until two to three years from now at the earliest. This is consistent with previous leaks suggesting that the iPhone Flip could appear in 2026 or 2027.

Interestingly, Yeux1122 claims that this development will force Samsung to respond by ramping up development of its own future foldables, including the introduction of “heterogeneous folding, FE lineup, and design changes since the Fold SE.”

This suggests a previously leaked Samsung folderable, like Samsung's tri-fold phone, which is expected to be released next year. It may debut alongside the cheaper Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE, finally bringing an entry-level (read: cheaper) folderable to the market - something the world needs.

Samsung will likely have more insight into when Apple will release a foldable phone through display segmentation. Therefore, it is plausible that the company will push for the development of the aforementioned handsets in order to stay ahead of Apple's future handsets.