Apple Inc. (AAPL.US) has begun prototype testing of its first foldable screen iPhone, and it is expected to be released in the second half of next year.

Media reports indicate that Apple Inc.'s first foldable screen iPhone prototype (P1) has entered testing, with a chance to enter engineering validation testing (EVT) by the end of this year and potentially being released as early as the second half of next year. The reports mention that Apple Inc. completed the production of the P1 prototype of the foldable screen iPhone last month and sent it to the lab for initial performance and reliability evaluation to verify key process steps such as the folding hinge structure, screen durability, and body signal stability. The report mentions that the P1 phase generally lasts about two months, mainly to confirm whether the overall appearance and thickness, weight meet the design expectations, and to conduct preliminary tests on the folding hinge durability and feel. If no major issues are found, it will move on to the subsequent P2 and P3 phases to gradually improve the hardware design and optimize details such as heat dissipation and antennas. After completing all prototype tests, the product will enter the EVT stage to ensure that the design concept has no major flaws. If everything goes smoothly, the design validation (DVT) and production validation (PVT) stages will be conducted before the end of this year, to respectively verify the integrity and consistency of the overall design, as well as the process flow and production line stability, to ensure stable and controllable mass production. It is hoped that mass production will begin in 2026. The reports also mention that, in addition to the foldable iPhone, Apple Inc. had originally planned to release a larger foldable iPad, but they have decided to prioritize the release of the foldable iPhone for now, while the plan for the foldable iPad has been temporarily put on hold due to difficulties in producing panel components, high product prices, and low market demand.