Apple's first foldable screen phone is scheduled to be released this fall! These A-share companies may benefit.

Source: Securities Times Network Author: Yan Cui

Unless something unexpected happens, Apple’s first foldable-screen phone is expected to be released this autumn together with Apple’s new iPhone. At present, the broader market is optimistic about its shipment volume, and it is expected that the performance of A-share Apple supply-chain companies will receive a boost.

Released in autumn as planned

On April 6, media reported that Foxconn is running pilot production for Apple’s first foldable-screen iPhone. As of now, Foxconn has not publicly responded.

On April 7, an Apple industry-chain insider told Securities Times·e Company reporters that the project plan for Apple’s first foldable-screen phone has long been set, and that the project is currently being advanced normally. Pilot production is an essential stage before a product’s formal mass production; it generally needs to go through engineering validation, design validation, and production pilot validation, and then finally move to formal mass production. Under the normal rollout timeline, the product will be released this autumn.

“This means that, assuming no unexpected developments, Apple’s first foldable-screen phone will be confirmed for release this autumn.” The insider told reporters.

In prior years, rumors about Apple launching its first foldable-screen phone have been constantly circulating. Since last year, rumors have once again emerged that Apple may release its first foldable-screen phone in the second half of 2026. Among them, a report by Caijing.com Technology, citing media sources, said that Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reiterated in the latest issue of Power On that Apple’s foldable iPhone Fold will be released in 2026, with an estimated starting price not lower than $2,000. However, Apple has never officially responded to related rumors, so whether Apple will launch its first foldable-screen product this year has remained unclear.

Industry insiders speculate Apple will focus on a no-crease display

As Apple’s first foldable-screen phone, its design and price have attracted widespread attention. According to publicly available information, the device uses a book-style left-right fold design, focusing on addressing the generally prominent-crease problem seen in current foldable-screen devices, and it is equipped with ultra-thin glass (UTG) and a high-precision hinge system. Guo Mingchi, an analyst at Tianfeng International, said that the new model will give up the Face ID solution and instead adopt a side-integrated Touch ID fingerprint recognition technology, with the fingerprint sensor embedded in the power button. The design logic is similar to the iPad Air.

Based on supply-chain data estimates, the starting price of the iPhone Fold domestic version is expected to be 14,000 to 15,000 yuan. The top-end model’s price may exceed 20,000 yuan. Compared with the current most expensive model on sale, iPhone 17 Pro Max (2TB version starting at 17,999 yuan), its pricing increases significantly, and it will become the highest-unit-price smartphone product in Apple’s history.

In fact, after years of development, the foldable-screen phone industry chain has already matured, and the competitive landscape has also largely stabilized. Huawei holds an absolute leading position in China’s domestic foldable-screen phone market. Samsung ranks first in the global foldable-screen phone market. Meanwhile, in terms of product selling points across foldable-screen phones from current brands, China’s domestic foldable-screen phones mainly focus on being lightweight and thin, with zero visible crease.

So what direction will Apple’s first foldable-screen product focus on? “Apple’s overall product strength is strong, so the foldable-screen part is expected to focus on a no-crease display.” An industry insider told reporters.

At present, domestic smartphone makers are also actively trying to overcome the crease problem in the development of foldable-screen phones. Not long ago, OPPO announced that it would team up with research-and-industry partners such as XianDao Intelligent, Formax, and Samsung Display to establish the “Tianqiong Partners” alliance, with the goal of jointly researching and tackling technical challenges in foldable-screen development.

These A-share companies are expected to benefit

As the product’s official release date comes closer, the capital market has started paying attention to related concept stocks. On the morning of April 7, A-share Apple concept stocks rose. Furong Technology hit the limit-up, while Dacheng Technology, Zhilifang, Dongcai Technology, Taijia Shares, Lian De Equipment, and others posted leading gains.

Reporters learned from the industry chain that Liany i Zhizao has been supplying foldable-screen terminal hardware to leading customers at home and abroad. Its core products include foldable-screen support components made of materials such as stainless steel, titanium alloy, and carbon fiber, as well as VC heat-dissipation plates of materials such as copper/stainless steel/steel-copper composites/aluminum alloy/titanium, foldable-screen hinge module assemblies, die-cutting functional parts/structural parts, chargers, and other key components. Liany i Zhizao said on its investor interaction platform that currently, the company’s various foldable-screen projects are progressing smoothly, and it is advancing mass production ramp-up and customer deliveries according to plan.

In its 2025 annual report, Liany i Zhizao disclosed that in the foldable-screen terminal business, during the reporting period, the company achieved multiple breakthroughs through technological innovation, including mass-production shipments of ultra-thin titanium alloy foldable-screen support components and carbon-fiber foldable-PC support components, among other foldable-screen-related products; it also achieved an important breakthrough in a high-end VC heat-dissipation project in cooperation with a major North American customer.

In past institutional survey responses, Lens Technology said that the actual development work for a large customer’s foldable-screen phone project started as early as 2024, and by 2025 the company had completed the product’s full finalization as well as the development and preparation work for related equipment.

“On this year’s foldable machine project for our large customer, the company will supply UTG glass, PET film, glass brackets, 3D glass cover plates, and so on. The new project has a high value-add volume, and the company leads in share, so it will benefit significantly. At present, the progress on the foldable screen is going smoothly. Public information shows that it is expected to be officially released in the second half of the year, and the company is ramping up mass production and delivering according to plan. Looking ahead, as the next-generation foldable screen enters full-scale volume production, the design of other models will see more upgrades and innovation. The company is deeply involved in glass, metal structural components, and functional module assemblies, and the value-add volume is expected to further increase.” In a round of institutional research conducted at the end of March this year, when asked by investors about the progress of the company’s large customer’s foldable screen and its outlook on consumer electronics, Lens Technology responded in this way. It is understood that the aforementioned “large customer” is Apple.

Also, it is reported that A-share industrial companies including Hon Hai Precision, Luxshare Precision, Changying Precision, BYD, Pegatron Control, GoerTek, and Furong Technology are all important Apple supply-chain companies.

Expected to reshape the industry landscape for foldable-screen phones

Apple’s entry into the foldable-screen phone market may have a far-reaching impact on the entire foldable-screen phone industry.

On March 19, Counterpoint Research released a report titled “Foldable Smartphone Market Forecast,” which showed that supported by factors including Apple’s expected entry, the ongoing premiumization of the smartphone market, and the expansion of OEM participation, global foldable smartphone shipments are expected to grow by 20% in 2026. With Apple preparing to launch its first foldable-screen iPhone, the foldable smartphone market will enter a new competitive stage in 2026.

“As the foldable-screen market evolves, the competitive landscape is expected to change quickly. Apple’s entry will become a key turning point. Apple’s first foldable-screen iPhone is expected to significantly reshape the competitive landscape. Counterpoint Research predicts that Apple will achieve a 28% market share in 2026.” The report said. With competition in the premium foldable-screen market intensifying, major Android vendors including Samsung are accelerating updates to their foldable-screen product portfolios, and new book-type devices will be rolled out throughout the year. Counterpoint Research analyst said that given the high-end positioning of foldable screens, early demand for Apple’s foldable-screen iPhone is expected to come mainly from existing iPhone users.

Driven by information related to Apple’s first foldable-screen phone, in recent days multiple A-share companies related to foldable screens have responded on the interactive platform to their business layout. For example, Yian Technology said it is optimistic about the application prospects of amorphous alloy in the hinge pivot-shaft field of foldable-screen phones, and it will continue to deepen technology coordination and co-development with key downstream customers.

Derong Laser said that it has built a complete suite of solutions for foldable screens, ranging from cover glass, carbon fiber, and metal hinges to OLED screens, circuit boards, and automation. These products have already received customer orders, but revenue from foldable-screen-related business accounts for a small proportion. Jingyan Technology said its foldable-screen business mainly has two parts: one part is MIM parts used for the hinge, and the other part is the foldable-screen hinge component assemblies.

(Editor: Wen Jing)

Keywords:

                                                            Apple