Apple targets foldable iPhone 2026 with Taiwan tests India production

Apple is preparing to enter the foldable smartphone market, with its first foldable iPhone expected to be unveiled alongside the iPhone 18 lineup in 2026 and test production already under way, according to industry reports. The company has reportedly set up trial lines in Taiwan to refine manufacturing steps and is considering mass production in India while maintaining at least some output in China, though plans remain subject to change.

Nikkei reported that Apple is using a Taiwanese test facility to verify equipment and fine tune production parameters with suppliers before reproducing the production line elsewhere. The pilot operation will require significant staffing, with the trial line said to need roughly 1,000 operators, and Nikkei noted Taiwan’s limited land and a shortage of experienced labor for large scale iPhone assembly as potential constraints. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, writing in his Power On newsletter, said Apple will nonetheless have some China production, while emphasizing the device’s likely thin, titanium design and high price.

Analysts and insiders have offered early details on design and specifications. Bloomberg’s Gurman wrote that users should “imagine...