Overview
- MacRumors and other outlets cite Weibo leaker Fixed Focus Digital claiming Apple has begun stockpiling key parts for its foldable iPhone, a report that Apple has not confirmed.
- The move is interpreted as entry into pre-production, a stage when suppliers build inventory of components with long lead times and higher defect rates to smooth later mass production.
- Reported hardware points to a book-style device with a 5.5-inch outer screen and a 7.8-inch inner display said to be nearly crease-free, with a punch-hole camera outside and a rumored under-screen camera inside.
- Authentication is said to rely on Touch ID in the side button, and the device is described as including a dual-lens rear camera system.
- Analysts Jeff Pu and Ming-Chi Kuo expect mixed-metal construction—titanium with aluminum or stainless steel—and suggest some hinge components could use Liquidmetal, with the phone targeted for the iPhone 18 lineup in late 2026.