Apple's coming foldable iPhone already shaping rivals' designs

Apple is set to officially unveil its first foldable iPhone, seven years after Samsung's Galaxy Fold went on sale. The new device is expected to be short, wide and roughly passport-shaped, launching alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models, while the standard iPhone 18 is reportedly not expected until early next year.

That wide, compact foldable shape has already appeared in several competitors' recent releases — Huawei, Samsung and Xiaomi have all launched similarly shaped devices in the past months, with Oppo and Honor also rumored to be working on comparable products. Although Apple's foldable iPhone hasn't been officially teased or announced, industry observers suggest Apple may actually be behind this design trend, since the company has reportedly been developing a foldable iPhone since at least 2017, with leaks about its smaller, wider shape surfacing as early as February 2025. Given Apple's large and slow-moving supply chain, rivals — including Samsung, which is reportedly supplying the foldable display for the new iPhone — likely learned of the plans well in advance.

Apple's market influence

This wouldn't be the first time Apple's designs have inspired competitors. Last year's thin iPhone Air reportedly prompted similar thin-and-light phones from Samsung, Honor, Huawei and Tecno, while March's MacBook Neo triggered a wave of cheaper alternatives from Lenovo, Dell and Acer. Market research firm Counterpoint estimates foldables made up just 1.6 percent of smartphone sales in 2025, but expects shipments to grow 20 percent this year, with Apple potentially capturing a 28 percent share of the category within its first few months on the market.

Apple's entry could help push foldables toward the mainstream, echoing its past effect on other product categories. The launch also carries significance internally, as it marks the first major hardware release under new CEO John Ternus, who previously led Apple's hardware engineering division.