Apple is expected to finally enter the foldable smartphone market soon. The Cupertino giant is the last major phonemaker to not have a foldable yet, with Samsung pioneering the tech with the original Galaxy Fold in 2019. It seems that Apple is ready to catch up and go one step further with the rumoured iPhone Fold later this year.
While the company has remained tight-lipped about the rumoured foldable iPhone, reports have surfaced online, giving us a clue about the device.
Before we begin, do note that the iPhone Fold may be launched with the iPhone “Ultra” name.
iPhone Fold design and display
The iPhone Fold is tipped to be a device that looks like nothing else Apple has ever made, potentially marking the biggest change in iPhone history. The foldable iPhone is expected to come with a book-style form factor with a wide 7.8-inch internal OLED display. This would give the device a wider form factor when compared to devices like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 or the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold. The inner screen is expected to come with a marginal crease.
On the outside, the foldable iPhone will likely get a 5.5-inch OLED display.
The iPhone Fold is expected to come with a LiquidMetal hinge for better durability. This would make it the first iPhone to use this material. The device will likely use a titanium frame with a ceramic shield or glass backplate.
The foldable iPhone could likely swap Face ID for a Touch ID sensor on the power button. This could allow the company to keep the thickness of the device in-check. Instead of the Dynamic Island, both displays will likely come with punch-hole selfie cameras.
iPhone Fold performance and battery
As per reports, the foldable iPhone will likely use Apple’s next-generation processor, likely to be called the A20 Pro. This chipset is expected to be built on a 2nm process, bringing notable performance and efficiency gains compared to the A19 Pro in the iPhone 17 Pro series. The foldable iPhone will likely come with 12GB of RAM with up to 1TB of storage.
On the battery front, reports indicate the foldable iPhone may get a battery capacity between 5,400 and 5,800mAh, the largest in an iPhone to date. It will likely only come with eSIM support with no physical SIM tray, similar to the iPhone Air.
iPhone Fold cameras and software
Apple could pack a total of four cameras on the iPhone Fold. On the back, you can expect a dual rear camera setup with a 48-megapixel main and a 48-megapixel ultrawide.
It is unclear if the selfie cameras on the iPhone Fold will use the new 18-megapixel centre stage sensor that debuted with the iPhone 17 series.
The foldable iPhone will continue to run iOS rather than iPadOS, despite having a large inner screen. It is expected to support side-by-side app usage with updated app layouts and sidebars, similar to what we have seen on iPads. Apple is expected to bring these features as part of iOS 27.
iPhone Fold launch and expected price
Apple is expected to launch the iPhone Fold in September 2026 alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. However, buyers may have to wait for longer before actually getting their hands on the device. As per Bloomberg, the iPhone Fold may go on sale a bit later than the Pro iPhones due to production complexities.
The company followed a similar strategy with the iPhone X when it launched with the iPhone 8 series almost a decade ago.
On the other hand, the vanilla iPhone 18 is expected to launch in early 2027 along with the iPhone 18e and the next-generation iPhone Air.
Pricing regarding the iPhone Fold remains unclear for now. Rumours indicate that the device may cost between $2,000 (roughly Rs 1,85,000) and $2,400 (roughly Rs 2,24,000) in the US.
