Apple reportedly raises foldable iPhone production target to about 10 million units

Apple is reportedly stepping up its commitment to a foldable iPhone rollout, with suppliers told to prepare for about 10 million units for 2026. The development, reported by market media, suggests Apple wants to move faster and at larger scale in a category that has been dominated in recent years by Android makers and is still difficult and costly to manufacture.

According to the same reporting, Apple’s earlier foldable production expectation was lower, in the range of roughly 7 million to 8 million units. The reported increase indicates confidence in demand assumptions and in the feasibility of getting enough components and assembly capacity for the product’s ramp.

The production shift is described as part of a wider iPhone schedule. The reporting characterizes Apple as planning at least five new iPhone models across the second half of 2026 and the first half of 2027. In that framework, the foldable iPhone would represent one element of a broader launch plan rather than a standalone experiment.

To support the ramp, the reporting also says Apple has secured components for about 80 million smartphones across new models planned for the second half of 2026. Total smartphone production for 2026 is described as expected to exceed 220 million units, a scale that would give Apple more negotiating leverage with suppliers than smaller handset brands facing tighter parts availability.

Part of the backdrop, the reporting adds, is the state of the supply chain for memory chips, which are used in smartphones and largely determine performance and cost. As demand for “AI-driven” compute grows and tightens parts availability, the reporting argues that Apple’s scale can help it protect access to critical components while other rivals contend with shortages.

The same market reports also raise questions about where memory chips could come from for iPhone models sold in China. Apple is reportedly in discussions to source memory chips for China-bound devices from Chinese suppliers, including ChangXin Memory Technologies and Yangtze Memory Technologies. Apple has not confirmed those discussions in any official statement referenced in the reporting.

Apple has not publicly disclosed firm production targets for foldable iPhones, and no official Apple communication was included in the cited market coverage. That means the 10 million figure should be treated as an estimate based on supplier conversations rather than a confirmed company forecast, and it leaves open questions about pricing, component costs, yield rates, and whether production plans could change as designs and test results evolve.

For investors and supply-chain watchers, the next checkpoints will be Apple’s upcoming iPhone announcements and any additional guidance on product mix, while also watching for indicates on component procurement. If Apple can execute the ramp without margin pressure from higher costs, the foldable push could help sustain iPhone momentum in the near term, but manufacturing complexity remains the central risk for any early-scale rollout.