I’ve been waiting for Apple to make a foldable iPhone ever since the first-generation Samsung Galaxy Z Fold, and it’s finally happening. Nearly a decade after Samsung made its first foldable, Apple will launch a similar book-style foldable iPhone. That’s next year, according to most reports, and we’re getting more and more leaks that suggest the device’s launch is certain.
Recent leaks detailing the foldable iPhone have mentioned exciting specs. The foldable iPhone should be very thin and feature a novel hinge mechanism preventing the display from creasing. According to reports, the disappearance of the crease is a top priority at Apple.
The foldable iPhone should also have a different aspect ratio than the Galaxy Z Fold models. The screen sizes that appeared in these reports indicate the foldable would not be as tall as other rivals, resembling an iPad mini when unfolded.
Finally, reports say the first-gen foldable iPhone might cost between $2,000 and $2,500. That’s more than twice the price I’d pay for an iPhone Pro. It’s also more expensive than the usual Fold-type foldable, which retails for under $2,000 before trade-ins and deals.
However, the price wouldn’t be the main dealbreaker for me. A recent report from Ming-Chi Kuo said the iPhone Fold might replace Face ID with Touch ID. I will have used Face ID for nearly ten years by the time the iPhone Fold launches. It’s one of my favorite iPhone features, and I can’t imagine an iPhone experience that lacks Face ID.
Too thin for Face ID?
I’ve embraced Face ID since the iPhone X came out, and the feature has only improved. Apple has reduced the size of the Face ID notch and then turned it into a Dynamic Island. Reports say the cutout will be reduced on the iPhone 17 Pro Max thanks to the introduction of metalens optics for the 3D face recognition camera. In the not-too-distant future, Face ID components will go under the display.
But Ming-Chi Kuo’s recent take on the first-gen foldable iPhone reminds us of the big problem with Face ID that prevents Apple from placing the sensor inside MacBooks. The Face ID module is too thick for the lid of MacBooks, but it fits in the iPhone and iPad, which are thicker.
Thanks to the ultra-thin M4 iPad Pro, we know exactly how thin a device has to be right now for Apple to fit Face ID components: 5.3mm. The iPhone 17 Air will be 5.5mm thick, reports say. That should be enough to ensure there’s room in it for the Face ID components.
But I’ll remind you of all the leaks showing the unusual horizontal camera bar of the iPhone 17 Air. Like others, I think the placement of that camera bar is meant to help Apple fit Face ID components at the top of the iPhone 17 Air.
Back to the iPhone Fold, the device is rumored to measure between 4.5mm and 4.8mm when unfolded. That might be too thin for the Face ID camera. That’s why Apple could go for a Touch ID power button similar to what we have on non-Pro iPads and Samsung foldable phones of all types.
Why I’d take Face ID over Touch ID any day
After years of not using an iPad, I just got an iPad mini 7. It’s the perfect size for my needs, which revolve around content consumption. It’s light and easy to carry around, and it already gives me an idea of what a foldable iPhone might feel like.
The iPad mini 7 has a Touch ID power button, which I configured as soon as I took it out of the box. But I constantly find myself dreading to use it. Touch ID in a side button is more difficult to use than Touch ID in the home button. It doesn’t “just work.”
You have to ensure you touch the button correctly, or the sensor will fail to unlock the screen. In these past few weeks, I found myself typing in the PIN code more times than I expected. It’s incredibly frustrating. And yes, I’m probably holding it wrong.
This isn’t just about unlocking the screen. I use Face ID to log into apps on the iPhone, and it’s a process that just works. It’s practically passive authentication. I’m logged by just looking at the screen right after launching an app. I love it.
Given my Touch ID issues on the iPad mini 7, I’m worried about relying on Touch ID on an ultra-thin foldable phone where the touch sensor might be even smaller.
I’ve had similar issues with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 6, which has a fingerprint sensor on the side. Conversely, if Apple made an iPhone Flip-type device, it could be thick enough to fit current Face ID modules.
I’ll also point out that Samsung phones do have face authentication, but not the 3D kind.
One more issue
I will also point out rumors that say the foldable iPad/Mac coming in 2027 will have Face ID support. But that device is likely to be thicker than the foldable iPhone.
Hopefully, Apple will manage to reduce the thickness of the Face ID module to fit it inside the foldable iPhone. It could be one of those brilliant innovations only Apple would pull off. Remember that rivals have not really been able to replicate Face ID, though some Android vendors have tried. Face ID tech isn’t exactly cheap or widely available.
But there’s another problem when considering Face ID for foldable iPhones. Where do you put the sensor? On the cover screen or the foldable display? Or do you use two of them?
A Face ID sensor on the cover screen would make it easy to unlock the display whether you unfold the phone or not. But if you plan on using Face ID to authenticate in apps when the screen is unfolded, you need Face ID on the inside. A foldable iPad/Mac device would not feature a cover display.
By this time next year, we’ll get even more iPhone Fold rumors and hopefully learn whether Face ID is coming to the first-gen foldable iPhone.
