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Apple's foldable iPhone, likely to be released as the iPhone Ultra, has a major problem in its pre-production phase. The hinge is failing stress tests – and this very component has been considered the technological key to the project for years.
Trial production of the foldable iPhone is underway – but it's not going smoothly. A well-known leaker from China has now reported a significant bottleneck: The device's hinge fails Apple's internal quality control when it's folded and unfolded frequently and over extended periods. The component shows signs of mechanical wear that Apple is unwilling to accept. According to the leaker, this is a critical issue: Production cannot proceed until the problem is completely resolved. This news aligns with previous reports that mass production of the iPhone Ultra has been delayed until August – a timeline that is now even tighter with this newly discovered obstacle.
What the leak specifically says
The information comes from the leaker “Instant Digital”, who posted his observation on Weibo published The hinge reportedly fails Apple's specifications in reproducible endurance tests involving frequent opening and closing. A foldable smartphone must pass these stress tests over several hundred thousand cycles – and this is precisely where the current production halt lies.
The leaker's wording leaves little room for interpretation: the problem must be solved perfectly, otherwise progress will stall for the time being. Apple is apparently making no compromises when it comes to durability – understandable for a premium product whose retail price is expected to exceed $2,000 and which will have to compete in tests against mature rival devices from Samsung or Honor.
Liquid Metal: The material should be the answer
Apple specifically chose a material to meet these requirements. The hinge mechanism uses Liquid Metal, an amorphous metal alloy also known as metallic glass. Unlike traditional metals, this material has a disordered atomic structure, which is said to make it significantly more resistant to bending and deformation. Reports indicate that the alloy even surpasses titanium in terms of durability.
According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the exclusive supplier of the amorphous alloy is the Chinese company Dongguan EonTec. Apple itself has been working with the material for over 15 years – a licensing agreement signed with Liquidmetal Technologies in 2010 forms the basis. So far, however, Liquid Metal has only been used in tiny components such as the SIM eject tools. The iPhone Ultra would be Apple's first use of it in a mechanically highly stressed main component – and this leap appears to be proving more difficult than expected.
The hinge is only part of the problem
Besides the mechanical durability, Apple continues to grapple with the visible crease in the display. According to the latest report, Apple has internally accepted that a certain degree of creasing in the middle of the foldable screen is physically unavoidable – the only question is how visible this crease will ultimately be to consumers. Previous reports described the technical measures Apple intends to use to make the crease in the iPhone Ultra as inconspicuous as possible, including the use of a special high-tech adhesive.
The combination of hinge wear and the limit of fold acceptance aptly describes the real dilemma of foldable smartphones: Both problems are directly related to the folding mechanism, and both must be solved to such an extent that the device still looks like a premium Apple product even after two or three years of intensive use.
How the report fits into the timeline
Pre-production of the foldable iPhone only began at Foxconn in early April – initially without any apparent obstacles. A few weeks later, it became known that several problems had arisen during the testing phase, which could delay the launch. The now-reported hinge failure fits into this pattern and provides a concrete reason for the previously rather general reports of delays.
The discrepancy between the sources is remarkable: While Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman had previously assumed a September launch and contradicted reports of delays, Chinese supply chain leakers are increasingly pointing to a later date. Who is right depends on how quickly Apple resolves the hinge issue.
What Apple now needs to deliver
A foldable iPhone is the company's most ambitious hardware project since the Apple Vision Pro – and its market launch hinges on a single component. If the hinge cannot be mass-produced without breaching Apple's own durability standards, the entire timeline is at risk. Apple could theoretically change the material, simplify the design, or adjust the tolerances – but each of these options would undermine the promise of a high-quality, durable foldable device.
Realistically, Apple is more likely to take its time with a clean solution than to ship a product that shows visible wear and tear with intensive use. What consequences this will have for the launch date and the timeline in detail remains to be seen – for a complete overview of the current state of speculation, see our ongoing compilation of all rumors and facts about the iPhone Ultra. (Image: Shutterstock / Pixparts)
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