🍎 The iPhone Fold might’ve just been referenced by Apple itself
👀 The invitation for its September 9 event uses a very specific term in China
📖 It translates directly to “unfolds,” which seems very on the nose for what we’re expecting
📱 The company is also expected to announce the iPhone 18 Pro at the event
Apple just sent out invitations for its September 9 “Surprise and Shine” event where we expect to see the next generation of iPhones and Apple Watches, and the company might’ve just accidentally confirmed that a foldable iPhone is around the corner in its official messaging.
On its website in China, the event is plastered all over the homepage with a date and time for when folks in the region can tune in. Translate the page to English, however, and the tagline for the keynote becomes “A new chapter unfolds, let’s shine!”
That… uhh… seems to hint directly at the iPhone Fold. It’s been rumored for months now that this September’s event would be where we see Apple’s first foldable iPhone in all its glory, and this invitation is the closest we’ve gotten to anything official from Apple itself that that’s the case.
Of course, this isn’t Apple saying “hey, we have a new folding phone coming out next month!” But at the very least, it seems like a hint at something, and that something is likely the foldable iPhone.
Apple’s first folding phone is expected to adopt a passport-style shape, similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 from Samsung. It’ll reportedly have a 5.5-inch cover screen with a 7.8-inch crease-free folding display, in a form factor that’s even thinner than the iPhone Air when open. It’ll have two rear cameras, a split battery, stereo speakers, and iPad-like multitasking built into iOS 27.
The iPhone Fold is rumored to cost upwards of $2,000 and come in two colors: dark blue and silver. We’ll be covering everything there is to know about the iPhone Fold when it arrives on September 9, so stay tuned and subscribe.
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.