Apple has moved its folding iPhone into the first round of production prototype testing. This device, commonly called the iPhone Fold, has seen seven years of speculation. Industry watchers now confirm that Apple began P1 testing in June 2025. This early prototype stage checks basic folding mechanisms and overall fit before more rigorous validation.
Supply Chain Signals
Sources in Taiwan’s supply chain report that display panels are arriving for assembly at Foxconn’s Zhengzhou campus. Apple has ordered crease‑resistant OLED screens from Samsung Display, aiming to solve the visible fold line that challenges competing devices. Custom hinges also move into trial production as Apple refines the folding action.
Typical Apple Prototype Workflow
The stages of the Apple hardware process are four. Next are P2 and P3 prototyping, which should take approximately two months each. They cover mechanical endurance, drop, and screen lifetime. When prototypes are approved, the undertaking moves to Engineering Validation Test or EVT. Apple continues EVT until there is both hardware and firmware that is reliable within strict criteria.
From EVT to Mass Production
The next stage after EVT is the Design Validation Test. This is where Apple extends invitations to carriers and enterprise partners to perform on the actual networks. Production Validation Test is the last one. PVT devices reflect on the final retail design, as well as verification that manufacturing scaling is possible. It is reported that Apple is planning PVT in early 2026, preluding summer mass production, of which the iPhone 18 series will become a part.
Patents and Past Prototypes
Since 2019, Apple has patented a multi‑axis hinge and flexible cover glass. Leaks have hinted at several prototypes that are folding, such as a book-like opening version and an outward-folding version. Although Apple shelved an iPad Fold project, an iPhone Fold seems to be on target for an attempted release in 2026.
The evolution of a prototype after a rumor indicates the careful nature of innovation in hardware at Apple. Every testing milestone brings one step closer to a foldable iPhone and presents the insight into the process of Apple perfecting the ideas with a bold vision till it lands in the hands of customers.
