Waiting for the iPhone Fold? Apple's first foldable reportedly hits a major engineering roadblock

After years of lagging behind the likes of Samsung and Motorola in the foldable market, Apple was finally planning to debut its first-ever book-style foldable device this year. However, a new report by Nikkei Asia notes that the tech giant has now reportedly faced setbacks during the engineering test phase of its premium device.

Will iPhone Fold be delayed again?

Reportedly, the engineering issues surrounding the device are more complex and taking much longer to resolve than the company originally anticipated, and the ‘worst case scenario’ could delay the phone schedule by months.

Apple is said to have notified a few component suppliers that there is a possibility that the component production schedule for the foldable iPhone will be pushed back.

The report, while citing sources, notes that Apple is facing ‘more issues than expected’ during the early production phase of the iPhone Fold, and it may require additional time to resolve these issues and make the necessary adjustments.

It also notes that April will mark a crucial stage of the engineering verification test (EVT), making the period from now until early May "extremely critical". Notably, every new iPhone must pass through a series of verification stages, which include development and verification tests that involve hundreds of thousands of test units to help Apple spot and fix design issues before mass production begins.

The report, while citing another source, notes that the potential schedule delay has nothing to do with a crunch in components and materials. Instead, the issue is said to be about the engineering challenges of creating the American tech giant's first foldable device.

"Apple and the supply chain are working under a pressured timeline, and the current solutions are not enough to completely solve the engineering challenges. ... More time is needed," Nikkei Asia quoted the source as saying.

How many foldable iPhones will Apple produce?

Since last year, reports have stated that Apple has reshuffled its iPhone launch schedule by delaying the iPhone 18 launch to Fall next year alongside the iPhone 18e, while focusing on the iPhone Fold alongside the iPhone 18 Pro lineup.

The new report verifies that assertion and notes that the tech giant had taken that decision to prioritise its premium models to better allocate constrained supplies of memory chips and other key resources.

Reportedly, the company had planned to produce about 7 million to 8 million foldable iPhones. While this figure accounts for less than 10% of Apple's planned production volume for the new lineup, the report notes that the supply chain is hoping that the phone performs well in terms of sales and brings higher margins for suppliers.

It also notes that multiple suppliers hope that Apple's entry will boost the foldable market, encourage consumers to switch to the category, while challenging rivals like Samsung and Huawei, who have dominated the space since 2019.