Here we go again: Rumor points to foldable iPads and iPhones coming in 2026

It's time for yet another foldable Apple device rumor.

This one comes courtesy of analyst Jeff Pu, who said in a new research note seen by 9to5Mac that Apple is planning on mass producing not one but two foldable devices in late 2026. Specifically, Apple will allegedly sell a 7.8-inch foldable iPhone and an 18.8-inch foldable iPad.

You'd be wise to take this prediction with a grain of salt, not because Pu's credibility is in question (it's not), but because we've heard this many times before. We were hearing all the way back in 2021 that Apple would launch a foldable iPhone in 2023, and that didn't happen. Interestingly, there's also a recent contradictory Bloomberg report from Mark Gurman, a prominent Apple prognosticator, saying the foldable iPad is coming in 2028.

There is a chance a foldable iPhone could launch in 2026, as Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently said that is when Apple could start selling its long-rumored foldable. Kuo also said that prices could be as high as $2,000, and he didn't say anything about a folding tablet. Gurman has also stated he expects a foldable iPhone to go on sale in 2026. So far, Pu is alone in predicting a 2026 launch for the foldable iPad. That doesn't necessarily mean he's wrong, of course, but it does mean that someone is wrong.

Samsung has had a lot of success with its recent foldable devices, and Google hopped back into the fray with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold last year. That makes Apple the biggest phone manufacturer in the U.S. without a foldable device in its portfolio. Maybe in 18 months it will have one, or two, or zero.