Apple is edging closer to releasing its iPhone Fold by securing a hinge supplier that will bring component costs down, according to a new report from Ming-Chi Kuo.
The analyst shared in a note over the weekend that the price of the iPhone Fold’s hinge is significantly lower than expected—dropping from $100–$120 to $70–$80. That means a lower build cost for Apple, which could result in larger profit margins for the company, or a cheaper retail device for consumers.
Kuo says a new partnership between long-time Apple device manufacturer Foxconn, alongside Shin Zu Shing, will produce the bulk of the new phone’s hinges (65%). Amphenol, an American company that makes fibre optic connectors and cables, will handle the remaining 35% of Apple’s hinge order.
If the device is a success and orders are high, Chinese manufacturer Lucshare-ICT could secure a portion of the orders in 2027, which might drive the hinge’s cost down further, according to Kuo.
This all points to progress on Apple’s long-rumoured foldable iPhone. The device is expected to launch next year, and Kuo estimates that it will be priced between $2,000 and $2,500—although those figures were published before this hinge-production cost-saving news.
Touch ID is expected to return as a side button, and Kuo has previously claimed that the handset will feature a “high-density” battery cell. That suggests the flexible handset will use new silicon-carbon battery technology. This would mark the first use of a silicon-carbon battery in an iPhone and, depending on what Samsung does with the Galaxy S26 in January, potentially the first in any major global smartphone. Read more about silicon-battery technology here.
A $2,000–$2,500 price range matches what Samsung charges for the Galaxy Z Fold 7, whereas Google’s new Pixel 10 Pro Fold starts at a much cheaper $1,799. These are power-user, niche(ish) phones for people who love gadgets—meaning manufacturers can get away with charging more for them. Apple could easily keep the hinge cost savings to boost its margins while remaining competitive with Samsung’s pricing.
Apple typically isn’t in the business of undercutting its competition, but it did exactly that with the base iPhone 17 against the base Google Pixel 10. Apple’s cheapest iPhone 17 offers more storage than the Pixel 10 (128GB vs 256GB) for the same price ($799), a higher-resolution display with greater pixel density (422 vs 460ppi), slimmer bezels, and a better-spec selfie camera (18MP vs 10.5MP). Maybe the company will take a similar approach with the iPhone Fold—offering a comparable base price to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, but with better specs and more storage.