Apple needs to finalize its Foldable product supply chain by H2-25 or miss the H2-26 target time frame for its first foldable
A new supply chain report this morning states that Apple has signed a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) with the domestic parts industry for their foldable device project in the second half of last year. This is making it difficult for the supply chain to figure out key parts of Apple's first foldable which could be an iPhone of iPad. The Elec chose to have an iPad mini as their report graphic, even though that's not mentioned in the report in any way.
The report notes that many domestic and foreign component suppliers are already in contact with Apple, but suppliers of key components in foldable products, such as ultra-thin glass (UTG) and hinges, are shrouded in secrecy.
Today, multiple parts industry sources state that Apple is still in discussions with domestic and foreign parts suppliers about the supply of foldable product parts such as UTG and hinges. Apple plans is reportedly aiming to release its first foldable product in the second half of 2026.
However, multiple industry insiders have predicted that "If Apple is to launch a foldable product in the second half of 2026, it will need to finalize its foldable product supply chain by the second half of this year, or at the latest in the third quarter." One of them added, "If the foldable component supply chain is not finalized by the fall of this year, it may be difficult for Apple to launch a foldable product at the end of 2026," So the clock it ticking.
Insiders know that Samsung Display has been confirmed to supply the foldable panel for the product, but the supply chain for major parts is still unclear. There are also parts whose specifications have not even been determined.
The biggest difference between foldable products and existing bar-type smartphones is the product cover window, UTG, and the hinge.
Apple is known to prefer UTG that is etched thinly only in the central part where the foldable panel is folded. An industry insider said, "Many of the UTG patents that Apple has applied for are concept technologies that etch the central part thinly."
In March 2024, Patently Apple posted a patent report titled "Apple invents Foldable Displays that are Thinned in the Folding Area & Chemically Treated to prevent it from Cracking." Then in October 2024, we posted a granted patent report titled "Apple has won a Patent relating to Future Foldable Displays that use a Polymer Filler to support the bendable portion of the display. One of the patent figures from that patent is presented below.
The Elec further noted that by making only the folding part thinner, the overall UTG can be thickened, thereby increasing product durability. However, the challenge is to fill the thinly etched part with filler [as noted in the patents above] and then implement optical properties identical to those of the rest of the UTG area while withstanding folding stress.
Samsung Electronics’ foldable phone has never applied a UTG that is etched thinly only in the center. The foldable phone scheduled to be released this year will also use a flat UTG like before. Instead, Samsung Electronics is also watching Apple’s trends while developing related technology. If Apple decides to apply a UTG that is etched thinly only in the center to its foldable product, Samsung Electronics will also apply the technology to its foldable phone.
There are several companies whose names are being mentioned in the market regarding the possibility of supplying UTG for Apple’s foldable products. Representative examples include Schott and Corning, which supply UTG glass for Samsung Electronics’ foldable phones, Dowinsys and Icony, which are in charge of UTG post-processing, and UTI, which does not yet have a history of mass production.
Dowinsys, which was evaluated as having no etching technology, registered two UTG patents (registration numbers 2714615 and 2714616) last October for etching only the central part thinly."
Patently Apple found the patents in the S. Korean database. The patent figure below is from the S. Korean Patent Office (known as Kipris) for the Dowinsys patent 2714615 illustrating the thinned display area like Apple's patent.
The Elec added that "The hinge manufacturer is also still unclear. There are several domestic and foreign hinge manufacturers and metal injection molding (MIM) companies that are in contact with Apple. MIM is an important process in hinge production. Gian, a representative MIM manufacturer, was in Apple's existing supply chain. The UTG form that Apple will adopt, the support part (backplate) under the panel, and the hinge structure all influence each other.
Another area of interest is securing leadership between Apple and component suppliers. Even if a specific component supplier supplies parts for Apple’s foldable products, whether it takes on the design or just the manufacturing, and the extent to which it internalizes the parts, could affect the future battle for leadership.
Apple's first foldable phone panel is likely to be supplied only by Samsung Display, but LG Display is also expected to supply foldable panels as Apple's foldable product lineup expands in the future. Both Samsung Display and LG Display are developing foldable panels with their partners.