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🍎 Apple is gearing up to launch its first foldable iPhone later this year
👀 We’ve been hearing a lot of new rumors revealing key details about the device
🎪 It’s shaping up to be one of the most significant launches in Apple’s history
🔟 Here are 10 rumors that paint a vivid picture of what to expect
If there’s one smartphone coming out this year that I get the most questions about, it’s the iPhone Ultra.
Apple’s mysterious foldable phone is expected to launch this September, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. It’s the company’s first product with a flexible display, and all signs point to it having a big price tag to boot.
Apple has remained out of the foldable market since its inception, which has led many to wonder what the company could be spending all its time doing behind closed doors. Are they working on a foldable? Is it gonna be different than what Samsung or Google have done with their foldables? Will it be the best folding phone yet?
There are still many unanswered questions, but we have been tracking many iPhone Ultra rumors over the past few months. After sifting through them, these are the 10 biggest and most indicative of what to expect from the $2,200+ foldable.
The most consistent thing we’ve heard about the iPhone Ultra is the design. Apple is choosing a much shorter, stubbier form factor for its first foldable. The 5.4-inch outer screen will be much wider than current iPhone displays, reminiscent of the first Google Pixel Fold. The 7.8-inch folding screen will follow a similar path and be wider and less square-like than other foldables, like the Galaxy Z Fold 7. If anything, the iPhone Ultra will resemble a passport, albeit a bit larger in scale.
That 7.8-inch display should deliver a bigger and better viewing experience for content thanks to its wider aspect ratio, and it’s said to come with no crease down the middle that would otherwise interfere with whatever you’re looking at. Apple is rumored to use a new hinge mechanism that reduces the crease to nearly nonexistent levels. A lot of companies have tried to eliminate the crease entirely from folding phones, and everyone has failed thus far. Will Apple be the first to pull it off? We’ll have to wait to find out.
Around the iPhone Ultra, Apple is expected to include a total of four cameras: two on the back, a selfie camera in a cut-out at the top of the cover screen, and another at the top of the folding screen. It doesn’t seem like it’ll be a pro-level camera system like we’re expecting on the iPhone 18 Pro. Instead, it’ll be a simple main camera and an ultra-wide (exact specs remain unclear as of now). This should be enough versatility for most users, and for those who need more, there’ll always be the iPhone Pro lineup.
Face ID is not expected to make it to the iPhone Ultra. Given its unique design, rumors say that Apple couldn’t figure out a way to implement it in a way it’d be happy with. Instead, the company is rumored to bring Touch ID back to the iPhone. The sensor will likely be built into the power button on the side, which’ll also act as the Siri toggle. While it won’t feel as futuristic as using Face ID, it’ll still be a fast and reliable way to secure your phone.
Apple is widely expected to include its rumored A20 Pro chip in the iPhone Ultra. As the successor to the existing A19 Pro from the iPhone 17 Pro, we expect the new chip to offer better performance in key areas like graphics, efficiency, and AI processing (which’ll be a particularly big deal this year, given that Apple Intelligence is rumored to get huge upgrades later this year).
There are a lot of rumors suggesting that the iPhone Ultra will have a big battery. How big? Somewhere between 5,500 mAh and 5,800 mAh, which would make it the biggest battery to ever land in an iPhone. Whether that translates to the greatest battery life in an iPhone is unclear, but it certainly sounds like the iPhone Ultra won’t have any issue lasting a full day on a charge.
When it’s time to charge back up, the iPhone Ultra is rumored to support the two current ways everyone charges their iPhone: wireless MagSafe and USB-C. Around the rest of the device, there’ll also be an array of speakers, microphones, and antennas, just like current iPhones.
One of the most notable changes the iPhone Ultra will make (besides bending in half, of course) is to iOS. Apple is rumored to add iPad-style multitasking to the software to make using the big screen more useful. Think split-screen apps, more sidebars, and wider interface layouts in general. The experience won’t be identical to using an iPad, but it’ll certainly feel familiar.
The iPhone Ultra is expected to only ship in two colors: black and white. There’s always a chance that Apple ships a third color down the line, but thus far, it only sounds like two finishes will be offered at launch.
This is the real kicker. Apple is rumored to charge upwards of $2,200 for the iPhone Ultra, making it the most expensive iPhone to date. Samsung currently charges $1,999.99 for the Z Fold 7, while Google charges $1,899 for the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. It would be a much higher price tag than most foldables on the market. I guess if you want iMessage on a flexible screen, you have to pay for it.
Apple is rumored to announce the iPhone Ultra this September, with availability either soon afterward or sometime in October. We’ll be tracking these rumors closely, so be sure to subscribe and follow us on Substack.
Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut and co-host of The Shortcut Live. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.
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