An iPhone Fold Might Not Be The iPad Replacement You Were Hoping For – BGR

Apple is expected to introduce the iPhone Fold later this year. The company’s first foldable device is rumored to feature a 7.8-inch inner display and take a similar approach to the Galaxy Fold with a price point around $2,000. As the release date approaches, a report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reveals more details regarding the software of this product. According to the publication, Apple will run a customized version of iOS, which will bring some capabilities of iPadOS but it won’t make it a replacement for a proper iPad, as it will lack proper multitasking capabilities and even iPad apps.

Gurman reports that Apple will make this device appealing for watching video, and developers will have to adopt Apple’s sidebar for these new iOS apps, something similar to what users already have with the iPad and the Mac. While WWDC 2026 is just around the corner, it’s unlikely that we’re going to get details about this tweak to the iPhone software, even though Apple might give hints ahead of the official launch to give developers time to adapt their apps to this new experience.

Seven years after Samsung introduced its first foldable device, Apple will try to shake up the market. Still, it might be hard to justify this device if Bloomberg’s report is accurate. After all, the apps will continue to run the standard iOS, with Apple apparently aiming at only split view usage, and not window tiling or Stage Manager. Users will reportedly only be able to use two apps side by side, and that will be it.

Gurman, citing people familiar with the matter, says more than two windows could be a problem as content could be hard to read and usability wouldn’t be ideal. Besides that, Apple wants to blur the lines of what an iPhone and an iPad can do, the same way it does with the iPad and the Mac, while still offering specific limitations so each product makes sense on their own.

The journalist writes that apps on the iPhone Fold will run similar to landscape mode on iPad mini, and it should be fairly easy for developers to adapt their apps. That said, the first few months might be filled with black bars, and some apps getting used before compatibility rolls out broadly.

Bloomberg says Apple wants to fix two main issues of foldable phones, which are narrow internal displays and visible crease. While previous reports suggested Apple was able to create a crease-free design, Gurman says it will greatly reduce the crease but without eliminating it entirely. The journalist also says Apple was able to solve display durability, as these screens can eventually break after a while due to all the fold and unfold process.

Bloomberg’s story also expands on the overall design of this product, as the outer display will feature a hole-punch cutout for the camera. According to the journalist, Apple tried placing the sensor under the display, but it wasn’t satisfied with the results. The same is true for the Face ID components, as Apple will choose Touch ID authentication on the side button instead. Last but not least, the biggest turn down for this foldable is that Apple will include two rear cameras instead of three, meaning that the most expensive iPhone won’t have all the best specs, and users will have to choose between the regular Pros, with all the bells and whistles, or the innovative phone with a few setbacks.