Apple is the last major smartphone manufacturer without a foldable device on the market, but that is expected to change in September 2026, when the company is widely anticipated to unveil its first foldable iPhone alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max at its annual autumn event. Currently referred to in leaks and industry reporting as the iPhone Fold, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has indicated it may be positioned under Apple’s Ultra brand, with the name iPhone Ultra among the possibilities under consideration.
The design that has emerged from a consistent stream of leaks points to a book-style foldable rather than a flip phone, with the device described as having a passport-style square footprint when closed because the experience centres on the opened state, where the inner display resembles an iPad mini in both size and aspect ratio. The inner screen measures 7.58 inches with a 4:3 ratio, while the outer display when closed measures between 5.25 and 5.5 inches. Most significantly, Apple appears to have solved the crease problem that has plagued competing foldables: Samsung Display showed a creaseless concept OLED panel at CES 2026, which is widely understood to be the panel destined for Apple’s device, with leaker Ice Universe confirming it carries no visible fold line. The hinge itself is expected to use LiquidMetal, a zirconium-based alloy, giving it durability and rigidity without the weight penalty of conventional steel hinges.
On specifications, the device is expected to feature 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM sourced from Samsung Electronics, with three storage tiers at 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. A dual rear camera system with two 48MP sensors is expected, along with an under-display camera on the inner screen and a single punch-hole front camera on the outer display. Touch ID via a side button replaces Face ID, a trade-off Apple made in favour of a slimmer build, with the device measuring 9 to 9.5mm thick when closed and 4.5 to 4.8mm when open. The inner display will run a version of iOS with iPadOS-inspired multitasking, supporting side-by-side apps and sidebar layouts but stopping short of full windowed multitasking. Gurman has confirmed that setbacks reported in the engineering test phase are not expected to delay mass production, with the device remaining on track for a September 2026 launch at the same time or shortly after the iPhone 18 Pro models.
Pricing remains the device’s biggest question mark. The most widely cited analyst estimates place the starting price at $1,999 for the base 256GB model, with 512GB at $2,199 and 1TB at $2,399, though some analysts have suggested the price could reach $2,399 for the entry configuration. Chinese pricing has been leaked by tipster Instant Digital at CNY 15,999 for 256GB, CNY 17,999 for 512GB, and CNY 19,999 for 1TB. At the $1,999 starting price, the iPhone Fold would directly match the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 in the United States, placing the two devices in head-on competition for the premium foldable market that Samsung has dominated without a credible rival since the category was created.
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