Rumors about Apple’s first foldable iPhone are picking up now that the device has entered a new testing stage that precedes mass production. If you’ve been having trouble keeping up with what’s new, we’ve recapped the latest iPhone Fold rumors that have come out over the last few weeks.
Naming
One rumor claims Apple will call its foldable iPhone the “iPhone Ultra,” which doesn’t seem out of the question. We’ve been referring to it as the iPhone Fold during the rumor cycle, but it’s unlikely Apple will actually use that name.
Samsung already has the Galaxy Fold, and that would be too similar for Apple’s tastes. Apple already uses the Ultra naming for the Apple Watch and for the version of CarPlay that more deeply integrates with in-car systems.
Given the $2,000+ pricing of the foldable iPhone, “Ultra” could make sense.
Design
We’ve heard plenty of rumors about the iPhone Fold’s design, but the first alleged dummy models came out this week. We don’t know if these are reflective of the iPhone Fold’s actual design, but it has all of the design features that have been rumored, and the right sizing.
The foldable iPhone will have a ~5.5-inch display when closed, making it Apple’s smallest current-generation iPhone. When open, it will be around 7.8 inches, so about a half-inch smaller than the iPad mini. It will have a wider 4:3 aspect ratio like an iPad, which is a design that will set it apart from other foldable smartphones on the market. Most foldable smartphones are taller, but Apple is going in a different direction.
There is a raised camera bump that does not span across the entire back of the device, which is expected. It has a two-lens camera system, and a thin chassis. Rumors suggest the iPhone Fold will be as thin as 4.5mm when open, which limits space for the camera. It’s so thin that Apple won’t be able to use the TrueDepth camera system, and it’s going to have Touch ID instead of Face ID.
Release Timing
We’ve heard a lot of back and forth rumors on release timing over the last two weeks. Some rumors have suggested the iPhone Fold will be delayed past September because of late stage production issues, while others suggest it’s on time for a September launch.
In March, a Barclays analyst suggested the iPhone Fold could be introduced in September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, but launch later, perhaps as late as December.
Japanese site Nikkei said this week that Apple is running into so many issues that the iPhone Fold might be pushed until 2027, but Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman said the report is “off base.” Gurman believes the iPhone Fold will be available for sale “around the same time” or “soon after” the iPhone 18 Pro models.
If the iPhone Fold does launch in September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models, it’s likely it will be in short supply. Reports agree that the device is complex and manufacturing isn’t smooth sailing. In December, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said production challenges could cause supply shortages into 2027.
Pricing
Apple’s foldable iPhone will “cross the $2,000 threshold,” according to Gurman. It is not clear if $2,000 will be the starting price point, or if it will come with a lower price tag but have some higher-end configurations that exceed $2,000.
Most rumors have suggested that the iPhone Fold will start around $2,000, though there have been outliers that put the starting price upwards of $2,300.
Read More
There are plenty of other rumors about the foldable iPhone, including details about Apple’s work on the hinge, the materials it’ll be made of, what camera technology it will use, and more. We have a full iPhone Fold roundup with all of the rumors we’ve heard so far.
