Apple Inc. has long watched from the sidelines as Samsung, Huawei, and other rivals shipped folding smartphones to eager consumers. Now, according to multiple reports from supply chain analysts and display industry insiders, the Cupertino company is preparing to enter the foldable market with a device that could make Samsung’s best efforts look primitive — starting with the crease.
The hinge crease on Apple’s forthcoming foldable iPhone is expected to measure roughly one-quarter the depth of Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 7, according to display analyst Ross Young of Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC). Young, who has a strong track record on Apple display predictions, shared the claim on social media, and it was subsequently reported by AppleInsider. If accurate, the specification would represent a dramatic engineering achievement and a clear signal that Apple intends to set a new standard for foldable device quality.
The Crease Problem That Has Plagued Foldables Since Day One
Since Samsung launched the original Galaxy Fold in 2019, the visible and tactile crease running down the center of foldable displays has been the single most persistent criticism of the form factor. Every generation of Samsung’s foldable phones has reduced the crease somewhat, but it has never been eliminated. The crease is a physical consequence of repeatedly bending a flexible OLED panel — the display substrate and its protective layers deform over time, creating a visible indentation that catches light and can be felt under a fingertip.
Samsung has invested heavily in ultra-thin glass (UTG) technology and improved hinge mechanisms to address the issue, but the Galaxy Z Fold 6, released in 2024, still features a noticeable crease. The Galaxy Z Fold 7, expected later in 2025, is anticipated to improve further, but the fundamental challenge remains. Apple, by contrast, appears to have spent years developing proprietary solutions specifically to minimize this flaw before shipping its first foldable product.
How Apple Plans to Achieve a Nearly Crease-Free Display
According to reporting from AppleInsider, Apple’s approach involves a combination of a wider-radius hinge design, advanced display materials, and a thinner flexible OLED panel stack. The wider the radius of the bend, the less stress is placed on the display at the fold point, which directly reduces crease formation. Apple has reportedly been working with Samsung Display and LG Display on custom flexible OLED panels that use thinner polarizer layers and novel cover materials that resist permanent deformation.
Young’s analysis suggests that Apple’s crease depth could come in at roughly 25% of what Samsung achieves with the Galaxy Z Fold 7. To put that in practical terms: if Samsung’s next foldable has a crease depth of, say, 0.1 millimeters, Apple’s would be approximately 0.025 millimeters — a difference that would likely make the crease virtually imperceptible to the naked eye and nearly undetectable by touch. This would address the number-one consumer complaint about foldable phones and could significantly accelerate mainstream adoption of the form factor.
A Device That Looks More Like an iPad Mini Than a Galaxy Fold
Multiple reports over the past year have indicated that Apple’s foldable iPhone will unfold to a display size of approximately 7.9 inches — roughly the size of the original iPad mini. This is notably larger than the Galaxy Z Fold series, which unfolds to about 7.6 inches. The device is expected to feature Apple’s in-house designed 5G modem, an A-series or M-series chip, and potentially the company’s ProMotion 120Hz display technology.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported that the device has been in development for several years and that Apple delayed its entry into the foldable market specifically because it was unsatisfied with the crease depth and durability of available display technology. Apple’s philosophy of waiting until it can deliver a polished product, rather than being first to market, has been a hallmark of the company’s approach to new product categories — from the original iPhone to the Apple Watch to the Vision Pro headset.
Samsung Faces Pressure From Both Ends of the Market
Samsung Electronics, the undisputed leader in foldable smartphone shipments, now faces a two-front challenge. On the premium end, Apple’s entry threatens to redefine consumer expectations for build quality and display performance. On the value end, Chinese manufacturers including Huawei, Honor, and Xiaomi have been shipping increasingly competitive foldable devices at lower price points, often with thinner profiles and less visible creases than Samsung’s offerings.
Huawei’s Mate X5 and the more recent Mate X6, for instance, have been praised for their relatively minimal crease visibility, achieved through a different hinge geometry that uses an outward-folding or waterdrop-style mechanism. Honor’s Magic V3, launched in 2024, was the thinnest foldable phone on the market at just 9.2mm when folded, and its crease was noticeably shallower than Samsung’s contemporaneous Galaxy Z Fold 6. Samsung’s dominance in the category is no longer guaranteed, and Apple’s entry could accelerate the erosion of its market share.
The Hinge Engineering Arms Race
The hinge mechanism is the single most complex mechanical component in any foldable phone. It must allow the device to fold and unfold tens of thousands of times without degrading the display, maintain precise alignment of the two halves of the screen, and do so while keeping the device as thin and light as possible. Apple has filed numerous patents related to foldable device hinges over the past five years, many of which describe mechanisms designed to distribute bending stress across a wider area of the display rather than concentrating it at a single fold line.
One Apple patent, published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, describes a hinge system that uses a series of interlocking gears and flexible support structures to create what engineers call a “teardrop” fold — where the display curves gently around a void space inside the hinge rather than being forced into a tight crease. This approach, variations of which are already used by some Chinese manufacturers, significantly reduces the minimum bend radius and therefore the crease depth. Apple’s implementation, however, appears to be more sophisticated, incorporating materials science innovations that go beyond what competitors have achieved.
Display Supply Chain Dynamics and Production Challenges
Producing flexible OLED panels with the specifications Apple reportedly demands is extraordinarily challenging from a manufacturing standpoint. The thinner the display stack, the more susceptible it is to defects during production, which drives down yields and increases costs. Samsung Display, which is expected to be the primary supplier of panels for the foldable iPhone, has been investing billions of dollars in its flexible OLED production lines at its Asan campus in South Korea.
LG Display is also reportedly in the running to supply panels, which would give Apple supply chain diversification and additional negotiating power on pricing. According to industry sources cited by Korean publication The Elec, both Samsung Display and LG Display have been producing sample panels for Apple’s foldable device since late 2024, with mass production expected to begin in the second half of 2025 ahead of a launch that most analysts expect in the September-October timeframe.
Pricing and Market Positioning Could Define the Category’s Future
The foldable iPhone is widely expected to be Apple’s most expensive iPhone ever, with analyst estimates ranging from $1,799 to $2,499. At those price points, it would sit above even the iPhone Pro Max and compete more directly with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series, which typically retails for $1,799 to $1,899. Apple’s ability to command premium pricing has historically been stronger than Samsung’s, and a demonstrably superior crease performance could justify the price differential in the minds of consumers who have been waiting for a foldable phone that doesn’t feel like a compromise.
The stakes are enormous. The global foldable phone market, while still a small fraction of overall smartphone sales, has been growing rapidly. According to data from IDC, foldable shipments reached approximately 18.8 million units in 2024, and the category is projected to exceed 30 million units by 2027. Apple’s entry could dramatically accelerate that growth curve, particularly if the company delivers a product that eliminates the most common objections consumers have cited for not buying a foldable phone: the crease, durability concerns, and the thickness of folded devices.
What Remains Unknown — and What to Watch For
Despite the accumulating evidence, Apple has not officially confirmed the existence of a foldable iPhone. The company rarely comments on unannounced products, and its supply chain secrecy is legendary. Key questions remain: Will the device support Apple Pencil input on its larger unfolded display? How will iOS be adapted to take advantage of the larger screen real estate? Will the device fold inward, outward, or use a hybrid approach? And perhaps most critically, can Apple deliver the near-invisible crease at scale, or will manufacturing realities force compromises before launch?
What is clear is that Apple has chosen to make the crease — or rather, the near-absence of one — a central differentiator. In a market where Samsung has spent six generations trying to minimize a flaw that consumers can still see and feel, Apple appears poised to arrive with a solution that makes the problem largely disappear. Whether that alone is enough to justify what will almost certainly be a record-setting price tag remains to be seen. But if Ross Young’s analysis proves correct, Apple won’t just be entering the foldable phone market — it will be rewriting the rules of what consumers should expect from one.