Apple shares drop on foldable iPhone delays

In Short:
– Apple’s shares fell due to engineering issues affecting its foldable iPhones, with timelines extending for resolution.
– Investors remain cautious as delays may impact consumer confidence and future product innovation.

Shares of Apple fell Tuesday following reports of engineering challenges regarding its foldable iPhones.A source informed Nikkei Asia that Apple and its supply chain face a tight timeline, requiring more time to address these challenges.

Foldable iPhone delays

Apple celebrated its 50th anniversary last week, having launched new iPhone models annually since 2020.

The foldable iPhone was expected to be launched with the iPhone 18 in September 2026, but the recent reports raised concerns about possible delays.

Bloomberg released information suggesting that the foldable phone is still projected for its September release.

Following this news, Apple shares slightly recovered, although they remained down approximately 2%, having previously fallen by as much as 5%.

Apple has not issued a response to CNBC’s request for comments.

A critical period for Apple to resolve these engineering issues is anticipated from April to early May, according to Nikkei.

Samsung, another competitor, introduced its first foldable phone in 2019.

iPhones constitute a significant part of Apple’s revenue, contributing over half of the reported $143.8 billion earnings for Q1 of fiscal 2026.

Nikkei indicated that issues with memory chip supplies do not impact the delays of the foldable iPhone.