Apple's Foldable iPhone Ultra: Release Date, Price, and Leaks

As firms like Samsung, Google and Motorola have launched folding telephones over the previous couple of years, every mannequin has prompted the query: when is Apple going to make a foldable iPhone? Rumors have ramped up alongside its rivals’ releases, which now level to a late-2026 introduction of what is rumored to be referred to as the iPhone Fold or iPhone Extremely.

The latest rumors come from leaker Digital Chat Station, who suggests the foldable may very well be referred to as the iPhone Extremely, and from leaker Sonny Dickson, whose supposed dummy molds present additional assist for the rumor that the iPhone Fold might be broad and squat.

We have gotten way more design leaks suggesting how Apple’s foldable could look. Most leaks, like Dickson’s above, recommend that the iPhone Fold might be a book-style foldable that is squat and broad, wanting extra like the unique Pixel Fold than taller, thinner fashions such because the Galaxy Z Fold 7 or the Pixel 10 Professional Fold.

The display on the iPhone Fold is rumored to have little or no crease, in response to a latest report by the Chinese language publication UDN. Display screen creases, particularly on early foldable telephones, have lengthy aggravated customers and critics, and they nonetheless stay regardless of the seam getting much less noticeable over time. Even Samsung’s most superior Galaxy Z TriFold has two display creases, one for every of its hinges. It could be a significant breakthrough if Apple certainly finds a technique to fold a display in half with out leaving a crease.

A report from leaker Mounted Focus Digital on Weibo recommend that Apple’s hinges may very well be fabricated from liquid metallic, an alloy probably supplied by Liquidmetal Applied sciences, with which Apple has had an unique contract since 2010. It has been the subject of many rumors since then, and the premise of a number of patent functions, however up to now no merchandise aside from the SIM ejector software that when shipped with iPhone fashions.

However we have but to listen to any official phrase on a foldable iPhone from Apple.

Foldable telephones symbolize a tiny fraction of all telephones bought globally. In a latest survey, CNET discovered that 64% of individuals stated they do not need a foldable cellphone. However these numbers may change if Apple have been to promote a foldable iPhone. As of April, IDC analysts predict that international foldable gross sales will leap 19% if the iPhone Fold launches in 2026, with Apple’s folding gadget capturing round 24% of the worldwide market share.

Lots of hope and excessive expectations have been positioned on Apple’s launch of a foldable cellphone. And if rumors are appropriate, we can’t have to attend for much longer for the corporate to take action.

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iPhone Fold specs

There are not any confirmed specs for the iPhone Fold; Apple hasn’t even confirmed one exists or is popping out. So provided that we do not but have an anticipated launch yr, it is laborious to foretell what sort of inner specs the iPhone Fold could have. Presumably, Apple will equip it with its strongest A-series chip, together with sufficient RAM to deal with two or three shows (relying on whether or not it folds inward or outward and wants a devoted outer display).

We do have some predictions for different specs, although just for the rumored book-style Fold (not the clamshell). In March, analyst Kuo predicted the bigger Fold may have a 5.5-inch outer display and a 7.8-inch inside show. When folded, it is rumored to be 9 to 9.5mm thick and 4.5 to 4.8mm when unfolded. Plus, a front-facing digital camera can be rumored to work whether or not the cellphone is folded or unfolded, together with two rear cameras.

Kuo predicted that the gadget will use the identical high-density battery cells as utilized in what he referred to then because the “ultrathin iPhone 17,” which presumably meant the iPhone Air. However that trim thickness means the foldable could forgo Face ID, so the gadget may find yourself utilizing Contact ID in a aspect button. 

Some rumors about {hardware} have emerged, too. In January, an analyst observe seen by MacRumors prompt Apple’s foldable may launch with 12GB of RAM, the identical quantity within the Galaxy Z Fold 7‘s beginning configuration. That might imply Apple does not want a lot reminiscence to deal with a number of screens or is not banking on giant AI options that require vital RAM.

And we lastly have a prediction on the iPhone Fold’s battery, with Weibo leaker Mounted Focus Digital posting that it may have a 5,500-mAh capability, as 9to5Mac first reported. That is considerably bigger than batteries on another foldables. (The Galaxy Z Fold 7, for instance, has a 4,400-mAh battery, however Samsung has been within the foldable recreation for years and has probably improved effectivity in an effort to slim down its units.) But if the Weibo leak is true, this would be the largest battery ever on an Apple handset. The iPhone 17 Professional Max has a 5,088-mAh battery.

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Design: What is going to the foldable iPhone appear to be?

Apple appears to have taken out each patent beneath the solar relating to foldable shows, together with an origami-style folding show, a flip-up show and even a wraparound show. Way back to 2021, a report from Bloomberg indicated Apple already had a prototype of a foldable iPhone show, and rumors since then have bounced again and forth between suggesting Apple will go for both a clamshell fashion or a book-style foldable first. 

In March 2025, analyst Kuo made a number of particular predictions for Apple’s foldable: It could be a book-style gadget with a 5.5-inch outer display that unfolds right into a 7.8-inch inner show, measuring 4.5 to 4.8mm thick when unfolded and 9 to 9.5mm when folded. It could additionally use the identical high-density battery cells because the “ultrathin iPhone 17” and embrace a hinge fabricated from chrome steel and titanium alloy — a favourite materials in Apple’s iPhone 16 Professional and Professional Max, in addition to the Apple Watch Extremely 3.

Per Kuo’s predictions, the foldable could have two rear cameras and a front-facing digital camera on each the exterior and inner shows. Most curiously, Kuo additionally expects that Apple’s book-style foldable will see the return of Contact ID as a aspect button, as Face ID is perhaps unnoticed because of area constraints — presumably for the array of depth-of-field sensors and cameras wanted for the tech. 

Then there are the renders, which have gone from a trickle to regular stream by 2026. One set of 3D CAD renders from leaker Sonny Dickson (pictured above) factors to a squat, broad design that appears way more just like the Pixel Fold than the tall, skinny Galaxy Z Fold 7 or the Honor Magic V6 Foldable. Whereas Dickson did not provide any context for the renders, making them unlikely to have come from Apple itself, it does recommend a special design for the foldable than the present vogue of slim relatively than broad foldables.

The iPhone Fold has been rumored for years, with delays reportedly because of Apple’s dissatisfaction with a visual crease. Studies say the corporate has solved this concern, and a latest rumor from TrendForce (cited by 9to5Mac) means that a sophisticated adhesive led to a breakthrough in decreasing the crease of its anticipated folding show.

iPhone Fold launch date: It may launch later this yr… or in 2027

Apple has neither confirmed the iPhone Fold nor introduced a launch date. However analysts and rumors have predicted that the foldable may come out in 2026 or be pushed till subsequent yr.

As for timing, because the iPhone Air was launched alongside the iPhone 17 fashions, the Fold may come alongside the iPhone 18 sequence. However since Apple launched the iPhone 16E early this yr, far earlier than the September window for its essential iPhone launch, the corporate may do the identical with the iPhone 17E in 2026. Apple may even delay the launch of the usual iPhone 18 to the spring of 2027 to make room for the iPhone Fold in Apple’s September 2026 launch, in response to an ET Information report. On condition that Samsung offsets its commonplace and foldable cellphone releases at Unpacked occasions months other than one another, Apple may do the identical.

The newest indications of an iPhone Fold launch date come from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who stated the foldable is on monitor for a September launch. That was affirmed by analyst Kuo’s suggestion in June 2025 that manufacturing may kick off in 2026, with telephones popping out later within the yr. This follows Kuo’s earlier prediction in March 2025 that the corporate may launch a crease-free book-style foldable by the top of 2026. Different analysts predict the iPhone Fold may launch in December. However it’s price noting that Nikkei Asia reported in April on a number of manufacturing snags that would delay the iPhone Fold into 2027. 

It has been an open secret for years that Apple is working towards a foldable iPhone, however buzz and potential launch dates have been floated for simply as lengthy. Early rumors pointed to 2021 as a possible goal date, however the yr handed with no foldable iPhone in sight, as have successive rumors for potential releases in 2023 and 2025. 

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iPhone Fold value

Analyst Kuo predicted {that a} book-style iPhone foldable coming in 2026 may very well be priced wherever from $2,000 to $2,500, because it’s “anticipated to generate sturdy substitute demand — regardless of the premium value — supplied high quality meets expectations.”

A report final yr discovered that half of American customers are involved in shopping for a foldable cellphone, although Apple prospects are barely much less prepared to make the leap than Samsung or LG customers. Maybe the “Apple impact” will change these stats if and when a foldable iPhone ever turns into a actuality.

Though Motorola gives one of the reasonably priced folding telephones with its clamshell Razr at round $700, most others within the class are book-style foldables, such because the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Pixel 9 Professional Fold, which value round twice as a lot as most flagship telephones. We do not count on a foldable iPhone to be cheaper than its rivals. Apple’s foldable must be in step with present foldable and nonfoldable fashions to have the ability to compete in opposition to different manufacturers and entice iPhone customers to ditch their single-screen units and pay extra for a foldable.

iPhone Fold historical past

Rumors recommend Apple is creating a book-style foldable just like the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Years in the past, in 2017, people predicted {that a} foldable iPhone may launch within the then-near way forward for 2020. Analysts and leakers have pushed the discharge date again ever since, whereas rumors and want lists have continued as cellphone followers maintain their hopes alive. 

Early rumors pointed to 2021 as a possible launch window, however Kuo’s March 2021 report (through MacRumors) prompt a 2023 debut. That yr has since come and gone. Dependable show analyst Ross Younger stated in February 2024 that the foldable iPhone had been pushed again to 2025, a timeline Kuo had beforehand reaffirmed in a tweet in April 2022.

Why the lengthy wait? In February 2024, Weibo-based blogger Mounted Focus Digital prompt that the foldable iPhone challenge was delayed as a result of Apple was dissatisfied with the screens’ efficiency. A mid-2024 TrendForce market analysts, reported in 9to5Mac, predicted that Apple’s strict necessities for reliability and the cellphone show’s crease meant it won’t be launched till 2027. However Kuo’s newer March 2025 predictions explicitly famous a crease-free foldable show, suggesting Apple might need moved previous this roadblock.

A brand new patent granted to Apple in July 2024, which was utilized for years in the past, exhibits how lengthy the corporate has been engaged on a folding iPhone. Kuo’s report in March 2026 stated that an Apple foldable may launch on the finish of 2026, with a 7.8-inch, crease-free inside show and a 5.5-inch outer show.

Though many experiences have targeted on the corporate’s struggles to get rid of the crease inside the inner folding show, Apple’s patent signifies that the event has been ongoing for a while. Creases have plagued good foldable telephones since their introduction in 2020, and though the latest Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 have diminished the crease, it is nonetheless seen and noticeable. Nonetheless, Samsung hasn’t let cellphone followers overlook it is lengthy outpaced Apple in releasing foldables by releasing an app that lets Apple cellphone house owners expertise a Z Fold-esque expertise by inserting two iPhones side-by-side. 

Whereas rumors started aligning in 2025 round the concept Apple would launch a book-style foldable first, they’d beforehand asserted for years {that a} clamshell-style foldable would come first. Apple leaker Jon Prosser reported in early 2021 that the iPhone Fold will probably use a clamshell design and are available in a number of “enjoyable colours.” Between the brilliant pastels of the then-new iPhone 15 and Plus and the sleeker deep blue of the iPhone 15 Professional and Professional Max, an array of enjoyable colours for Apple’s first foldable is a chance, although they is perhaps restricted to the clamshell model of the cellphone.

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iPhone 2026 lineup

There isn’t any assure about which telephones Apple will launch throughout its ordinary September window, however the most secure guess is on one other sequence of flat telephones, which we count on to be the iPhone 18 line. However what else may very well be coming alongside the standard lineup?

There may very well be an iPhone Air 2, although rumors battle over whether or not to count on one subsequent yr. There’s been much more proof for an iPhone Fold, although whether or not it comes out in 2026 or in later years remains to be unsure. If the iPhone Fold does launch subsequent yr, extra rumors have prompt a clamshell gadget has been prioritized and could come first — given experiences of Apple researching a book-style foldable, we may get a type of as effectively. 

In mid-January, MacRumors reportedly noticed a analysis observe from analyst Jeff Pu suggesting that the iPhone Fold will pack 12GB of reminiscence — as will the whole iPhone 18 line. Apple by no means discloses how a lot RAM is included in its telephones, however specs websites reminiscent of GSMArena have reported that the usual iPhone 17 has 8GB of RAM, whereas the remainder of the sequence (iPhone Air, 17 Professional and Professional Max) all have 12GB. If appropriate, which means Apple does not assume its foldable will want extra reminiscence than its commonplace flat telephones; it could have extra display space however doubtlessly no extra superior {hardware} than its iPhone 18 siblings.

It is also attention-grabbing to see the usual iPhone 18 packing 12GB of reminiscence, because the RAM scarcity is predicted to hike costs on telephones launched in 2026, and doubtlessly even wipe out the most affordable price range telephones from the market till reminiscence costs drop sufficient to make low-cost telephones worthwhile once more. Apple could also be prepared to soak up the prices for a extra succesful fundamental mannequin of the iPhone 18, or maybe it’s going to go these prices on to the patron with a value hike. 

iPhone Fold or iPhone Air 2?

Whereas the iPhone Air got here out with the iPhone 17 handsets, there are conflicting rumors about whether or not we’ll see an iPhone Air 2 in 2026. A latest report from The Data says Apple is delaying the discharge of the following model of the iPhone, citing individuals acquainted with the matter. This follows rumors that disappointing iPhone Air gross sales led Apple to dial again manufacturing, although that declare was disputed by TD Cowen in a observe seen by AppleInsider, which stated the corporate would proceed producing the skinny cellphone. The Data later amended its story to say the delay may very well be brought on by engineers reconsidering the Air’s design to assist a second rear digital camera.

All of this casts doubt on whether or not we’ll get an iPhone Air 2 subsequent yr, however there’s not sufficient proof but to roundly dismiss the chance. 

Two foldable iPhone foldables?

Foldable iPhone hopefuls will at the very least be inspired that Apple seemingly continues to tinker with an iPhone Fold design. The corporate is alleged to be engaged on two sizes of folding iPhones: a book-style and a clamshell-style, in response to an older report by The Data, though this can be contradicted by a more moderen report by the identical web site suggesting Apple had settled on the latter for a smaller gadget. This aligns with prior rumors hinting that the iPhone Flip will use a clamshell design just like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip sequence or Motorola Razr Extremely.

It seems like Apple’s been struggling to fulfill its excessive expectations: The corporate’s design staff desires the iPhone Fold to be half as skinny as present iPhone fashions and to have shows on the surface which can be seen when the gadget is folded shut, in response to the report. On condition that the iPhone Air, launched in September 2025, whittled the everyday iPhone thickness down to five.6mm, Apple has made progress towards this objective. 

Improvement on the clamshell iPhone Flip was halted round 2020, the sooner report famous, to deal with a brand new challenge: a folding iPad. This gadget would have an 8-inch show, roughly the dimensions of the iPad Mini. The foldable pill reportedly had much less strict sturdiness and thickness necessities, because it would not want to slot in pockets like an iPhone Flip. Apple was additionally engaged on methods to scale back the crease within the show and get the iPad to lie totally flat.

Roadblocks: What nonetheless stands in Apple’s approach? 

Samsung and others have been testing the waters, however Apple has been studying from the ache factors of its rivals foldable units and determining how they’d be used.

Considered one of these ache factors is the crease. Lots of the present cowl supplies, together with the glass and plastic combine that Samsung makes use of for the Z Fold and Z Flip, present a visual crease when folded out to full display. To keep away from it, Apple would probably have to attend for Corning, Apple’s glass supplier, to create some type of bendable model of its Ceramic Defend display. The corporate is already engaged on a bendable glass however hasn’t introduced a launch date for it. 

Kuo tweeted in April 2022 that Apple was testing a foldable OLED display. Korean tech information web site The Elec additionally reported that Apple was working with LG to develop a foldable OLED panel.