Apple iPhone Fold or iPhone Ultra: These are the latest rumors
Rumors surrounding the first Apple iPhone Fold are slowly gaining momentum since the device entered a new testing phase before mass production. Even the name is under scrutiny – here’s an overview of the latest rumors about the iPhone Fold or iPhone Ultra.
Apple iPhone Fold or iPhone Ultra
According to a rumor, Apple will call its first foldable smartphone the “iPhone Ultra,” which is certainly within the realm of possibility. We’ve referred to it as the Apple iPhone Fold so far, as that’s the obvious name. However, it’s unlikely that Apple will actually use that name.
Samsung already has the Galaxy Z Fold7 to offer, and that would be too similar to Apple’s ideas. Apple already uses the term “Ultra” for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and for CarPlay Ultra. The latter is the CarPlay version with the deepest integration into the vehicle systems.
Given the price of over 2,000 euros/US dollars for the Apple iPhone Fold, the device would certainly have deserved the title iPhone Ultra.
Design
There have been many rumors about the design of the Apple iPhone Fold, and this week the first alleged dummy models were released. We don’t know if these correspond to the actual design, but they exhibit all the suspected design features and are the correct size.
The Apple iPhone Fold will have a display with a diagonal of approximately 5.5 inches when closed, making it Apple’s smallest iPhone of the current generation. When unfolded, it measures about 7.8 inches, making it roughly 1.3 cm smaller than the iPad mini. It has a wider 4:3 aspect ratio like the iPad, which sets it apart from other foldable smartphones on the market. Most foldable smartphones are taller; Apple is taking a different approach.
The camera is raised, but as expected, it doesn’t extend across the entire back of the device. It features a dual-camera system and a slim design. Rumors suggest the Apple iPhone Fold will be only 4.5 mm thin when open. This will limit the space available for the camera. Due to the thin design, Apple cannot use the TrueDepth camera system and will use Touch ID instead of Face ID.
Start date
Many conflicting rumors about the release date have been circulating for the past two weeks. Some rumors suggest that the market launch of the Apple iPhone Fold will be delayed beyond September due to production problems in the final phase, while others predict a planned launch in September.
In March, an analyst from Barclays assumed that the iPhone Ultra will be unveiled in September along with the iPhone 18 Pro, but might not be launched until later, possibly not until December.
The Japanese website Nikkei reported this week that Apple is facing so many problems that the launch of the iPhone Ultra could potentially be delayed until 2027. However, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman called this report “false.” Gurman expects the iPhone Fold to be available around the same time as, or shortly after, the iPhone 18 Pro models.
Should the Apple iPhone Fold actually launch in September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models, supply shortages are to be expected. Reports indicate the device is complex and production is not running smoothly. In December, Apple analyst Ming Chi Kuo stated that production difficulties could lead to supply bottlenecks until 2027.
Price
According to Gurman, Apple’s foldable iPhone will pass the 2,000 Euro/Dollar mark It’s unclear whether $2,000 will be the starting price or if it will be cheaper at launch. In any case, there will likely be more expensive storage configurations for significantly more than $2,000.
Most rumors suggest that the foldable iPhone will start at around $2,000, although there are also outliers who put the starting price at over $2,300.
