Apple has apparently put a clamshell foldable iPhone through internal testing, but that doesn’t mean you’ll see one anytime soon.
According to a Weibo post spotted by MacRumors, the company has experimented with flip-style hardware similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip or Motorola’s Razr. The source, claiming connections to Apple’s supply chain, offered little beyond confirmation that prototypes exist. Whether they’ll ever ship is another question entirely.
This tracks with earlier reporting from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who suggested Apple was exploring both formats but hadn’t committed to the clamshell route. The company’s first foldable is expected to follow the book-style design of Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold, launching alongside the iPhone 18 Pro later this year. A flip phone, if it happens at all, wouldn’t arrive until 2027 or beyond.
The hesitation makes sense. Apple rarely rushes into new form factors, and foldables still carry real trade-offs: durability concerns, visible creases, and unclear consumer appetite outside early adopters. A flip phone would also compete directly with Apple’s own standard iPhone lineup in a way the larger book-style model might not.
Testing hardware is standard practice for Apple. It doesn’t signal intent so much as due diligence. The company regularly builds prototypes that never see retail shelves.
For now, the flip iPhone remains speculative. Apple will likely let its first foldable prove the category’s viability before committing to a second, more lifestyle-oriented design. That’s cautious, but it’s also consistent with how the company operates.
