Apple's Foldable iPhone May Be Hitting Late-Stage Manufacturing Snags

Apple's first foldable iPhone is being held up by pricing negotiations with manufacturing partners and an unresolved decision about hinge materials, rather than component or display problems, according to Chinese leaker Fixed Focus Digital. Apple is expected to release its first foldable iPhone later this year, in the form of a book-style device that unfolds to reveal a screen about the size of an iPad mini. Reports suggest it will feature a 7.8-inch main display when unfolded and a 5.5-inch cover display, but claims of when it will launch have yet to arrive at a consensus, with reports suggesting a release could come as early as September or as late as December. In a post today on social network Weibo, Fixed Focus Digital cited their own supply chain sources claiming Apple is still undecided on the hinge material, with the company still apparently weighing liquid metal against 3D-printed titanium alloy, which was most recently used in the iPhone Air. Rumors going back to March 2025 cl