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  "path": "/article/2629813/apple-folding-iphone-ultra-design-display-specs-release.html",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-15T10:23:54.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.macworld.com",
  "tags": [
    "iPhone",
    "Macworld",
    "as far back as 2018",
    "Mark Gurman at Bloomberg",
    "Digital Chat Station",
    "still on track",
    "MacRumors",
    "The Information",
    "Digital Chat Station on Weibo",
    "Ming-Chi Kuo",
    "Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold",
    "Samsung Galaxy Z Fold",
    "Sonny Dickson on X",
    "several patents",
    "reported",
    "Weibo account Instant Digital",
    "iPhone Air",
    "set of proposed design details",
    "reporting",
    "later report from The Information",
    "optically clear adhesive",
    "iPhone 18",
    "Fixed Focus Digital",
    "said to cost $2,000 or more",
    "prediction",
    "Weibo leakers"
  ],
  "textContent": "Macworld\n\nWe’ve been reporting on the supposedly imminent launch of a foldable iPhone for _years_. There have been strong and reliable rumors of a foldable iPhone being just two years away, dating as far back as 2018, at least. Back then, reliable reports from the likes of CNBC said Apple was going to have a folding iPhone on the market in 2020.\n\nThat became 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025… and now it’s expected to land in 2026.\n\nSo, while the rumors and reports from parts suppliers and analysts are heating up and we have more specifics than ever before, we would advise even more caution and skepticism than usual with Apple speculation. With that said, here’s what current rumors suggest about the release of a folding iPhone.\n\n_**Update April 14, 2026** : _We’ve updated this guide with the latest rumors, including more dummy models, pricing info, and another leak that “iPhone Ultra” will be the name.\n\n## Foldable iPhone name: What will it be called?\n\n  * iPhone Ultra is the expected name\n\n\n\nMany fans and pundits have got into the habit of referring to the rumored device as the iPhone Fold, but this may not necessarily be the official name. The rumors and leaks from spring 2026 onwards suggest that Apple is looking to call it **iPhone Ultra**.\n\nIn March, Mark Gurman at Bloomberg claimed that the folding iPhone will be one of several “Ultra” products coming this year—though not all will use “Ultra” branding, it’s certainly a possibility for the folding iPhone. Then, the Weibo account Digital Chat Station (which is hit-and-miss) said Apple is looking to use the iPhone Ultra name, too.\n\n## Folding iPhone Ultra/Fold release date\n\n  * September 2026 launch expected\n\n\n\nApple is deep into testing and validation for the folding iPhone, according to the latest leaks. The accepted story is that Apple will introduce it in **September 2026** , along with the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max (but not the regular iPhone 18).\n\nAfter a report from Nikkei Asia said that Apple is somewhat behind on the production timetable, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman chimed in to say it’s still on track, though supplies may be limited at first. Apple is aiming to put the device on sale at the same time or “soon after” the non-folding iPhone 18 Pro models, he claims.\n\nAccording to MacRumors, Barclays analyst Tim Long said in a research note that the folding iPhone will likely ship in December, a couple months after the expected September launch of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.\n\n## Folding iPhone Ultra/Fold design & dimensions\n\n  * Book-like design with a vertical fold rumored\n  * Intended to be a iPhone/iPad hybrid\n\n\n\nIn 2024, The Information reported that Apple had made a couple of prototype “clamshell” flip-phone designs, where the top and bottom of the phone fold to meet. More recent rumors in 2025 from Digital Chat Station on Weibo and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggest a **“book” style fold** , with a vertical fold as the left and right sides come together. This is a similar style to the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold.\n\nThe overall size and shape is unique for iPhones and folding phones in general. It’s a wider “passport” form factor that opens into a wider aspect ratio than is typical. The best look at it we have is from a dummy model spotlighted by Sonny Dickson on X.\n\nThe latest leaks and dummy models show the wide “passport” design of the iPhone Ultra.\n\nSonny Dickson\n\nThe hinge is expected to be one of its most unique features. Some reports have suggested it will be made of a titanium alloy, while analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported in March 2025 that Apple is exploring the use of LiquidMetal for “durability, enhancing screen flatness, and minimizing crease marks” in the screen. Apple has received several patents for hinge designs, and it’s unclear which the company will use in the final design.\n\nOn July 14, Kuo reported that Apple had figured out how to get rid of the fold crease by using metal plates to help “distribute and control bending stress.”\n\nA leak from Weibo account Instant Digital at the start of February says the **volume buttons will be on the top edge** , aligned right. On the back will be two cameras on a long thin “plateau” similar to the iPhone Air, only black rather than color-matched to the phone body.\n\nThe folding phone is said to be at most **9.5mm thick when folded and 4.5mm when unfolded**. For comparison, an iPhone 16 Pro Max is 8.5mm thick, and the thinnest iPhone of all time is the iPhone Air at 5.6mm.\n\n## Folding iPhone Ultra/Fold display details\n\n  * Ultra-thin glass display hinge but no visible crease\n  * Rumored to be 7.8 inches unfolded, 5.5-inch (or 5.3-inch) when folded\n\n\n\nMing-Chi Kuo has also reported on the folding iPhone’s set of proposed design details. He says the book-style iPhone will have a **7.8-inch inside display** when unfolded, and a **5.5-inch outer display**. Kuo says Apple won’t be satisfied until the phone’s display is completely crease-free when opened.\n\nIn July, TrendForce made the same prediction, reporting that the folding iPhone would feature a 7.8-inch internal and 5.5-inch external display. A later report from The Information put the screen sizes at **7.7 inches inside** and **5.3 inches outside**.\n\nApple is said to be relying on display glass with variable thickness, that is thinner right where the crease will be, in order to help eliminate the “crease” that appears in many folding phones after months of use. Together with an optically clear adhesive to reduce stress on the glass in that area, Apple hopes to have a folding phone that is **crease-free and stays that way**.\n\nThe aspect ratio is rumored to be 4:3, which is the same as an iPad.\n\n## Folding iPhone Ultra/Fold specs: Chip, cameras & features\n\n  * A20 chip, 12GB RAM, C2 modem expected\n  * Dual 48MP camera on rear (no telephoto), under-display camera and a second punch-hole camera on front rumored\n  * Touch ID on the power button\n\n\n\nWe don’t know what processor the folding iPhone will contain, but based on the release timeline, it will probably feature an **A20 or A20 Pro** —some variant of the processor found in the iPhone 18.\n\nWe expect most iPhones to use **Apple’s own cellular modem** and **Wi-Fi/Bluetooth chips** by that time as well. This will probably be the new C2 modem and the N1 for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth.\n\nThe folding iPhone will reportedly have a Touch ID-enabled power button rather than Face ID.\n\nIDG\n\nDue to the very thin nature of the foldable iPhone, and the need for different front-facing cameras when folded up or unfolded, it will reportedly lack Face ID. Instead, **Touch ID** will be incorporated into the side button much as it is on the iPad Air’s power button.\n\nThere will reportedly be **two rear cameras** (likely a standard wide and ultrawide, but no telephoto) and **two front-facing cameras** , one for when the iPhone is closed and one for when it’s open.\n\nThis iPhone is also said to have the largest battery ever, at 5,000-5,500mAh, according to Weibo leaker Fixed Focus Digital in February 2026.\n\n## Folding iPhone Ultra/Fold: Price\n\n  * Premium price expected: $2,000 or more\n\n\n\nExpect the folding iPhone to be a very high-end, ultra-premium model. The very first release is said to cost $2,000 or more… maybe even as much as $2,399, more than twice the highest-end iPhone Pro Max. That’s the prediction from analyst Arthur Liao, who bases his eye-watering estimate on material costs (particularly the panel and hinge) and Apple’s high-margin business model.\n\nThe latest rumors from Weibo leakers suggest starting price of RMB 15,999 in China for the 256GB model, up to RMB 19,999 for the 1 TB model. When applying the same yuan-to-dollar ratio as other Apple products, this translates to a **$1,999 starting price** , up to $2,399 for the 1TB model.",
  "title": "iPhone Ultra: Apple first folding iPhone design, display, and release rumors"
}