iPhone Fold leaks: these 5 rumors reveal Apple's most futuristic phone to date
Apple is gonna have to lean on top-tier design and engineering to pull this off
š± Appleās iPhone Fold is right around the corner
š The device is expected to debut sometime in mid-September
š Itāll resemble a passport and take on Samsungās wildly popular Galaxy Z Fold 8
š§āš» Leaks suggest it could come with huge advancements in design and engineering
šļø Here are 5 leaks that suggest the iPhone Fold will be Appleās most futuristic phone to date
Apple has a brand-new iPhone coming out next month, and the excitement around the Galaxy Z Fold 8 has even more people hyped up for it.
Thatās because the iPhone Fold will largely resemble Samsungās shorter, wider foldable, and that form factor is already getting rave reviews. Between the easier-to-handle cover screen and wider foldable display, the device has proven to be much better for one-handed use and watching videos than the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.
Appleās take on the form factor will be very similar, with a passport-like shape and advanced specs to make it the companyās most futuristic phone to date. After experimenting with an ultra-thin design on the iPhone Air, Apple has had time to figure out how to keep the iPhone Fold (a.k.a. iPhone Ultra) as thin as possible, all while cramming it with pro-grade chips and big batteries.
All the rumors and leaks weāve been tracking suggest itāll be Appleās most challenging smartphone in its history. Five key rumors, in particular, paint a vivid picture of just how challenging this phone will be to pull off, and why we expect it to cost upwards of $2,000 when it launches in late September or October.
Apple iPhone Fold: the most futuristic upgrades weāre expecting
š A brand-new hinge design without the crease
Apple is expected to use a brand-new āLiquidmetalā hinge for the iPhone Fold, which is supposed to be way more durable than what Samsung and other companies have kicked out recently.
The new hinge will incorporate a glass-like atomic structure that allows for greater elasticity and flexibility, while also improving the durability and longevity of the hinge itself. In addition, the hinge will reduce the amount of space between the display layers, which should lead to a crease thatās virtually nonexistent.
Will Apple completely eliminate the crease? Rumor has it that the technology might not be totally ready for mass production, but weāve also heard that Apple aced it behind the scenes and is including it on this yearās iPhone Fold. Weāll have to wait and see what happens to know for sure, but either way, the foldable iPhone will have one of the most advanced hinge mechanisms weāve ever seen.
š Ultra-thin design that puts iPhone Air to shame
That hinge needs to also fit in an ultra-thin design, which is what rumors suggest is coming to the iPhone Fold. The iPhone Air proved that Apple could cram an entire, modern-day smartphone into a design thatās just 5.6mm thick, and it looks like the iPhone Fold could put that stat to shame.
Rumors suggest the device will measure just 4.5mm when itās open, which is slightly thicker than last yearās razor-thin Galaxy Z Fold 7. The device is said to be super lightweight as well, and with its thin design, it could be as easy to handle as the iPhone Air, just with a much larger screen. Complete with the new hinge and simple but elegant rumored color options, it could be a true stunner in-person.
šø A more advanced camera plateau
Of course, if Apple wants to make the phone this thin, it needs to rearrange all the parts inside, which is where the new camera plateau comes into play.
Apple shoved all the computing power of the iPhone Air into the camera bump on the back, filling the rest of the space with battery. The company is expected to do the same on the iPhone Fold, but on a much bigger scale. Not only will it need to cram in the rumored A20 chip, the new C2 modem for faster wireless performance, RAM, and storage, but itās also expected to include a second rear camera, something thatās missing from the Air due to a lack of space.
It seems like a huge challenge, but it sounds like Apple has achieved it. Weāve heard time and time again that the camera bump on the back of the iPhone Fold will greatly resemble the one on the Air, just with a secondary ultra-wide camera next to the main shooter. How much thicker itāll be remains to be seen, but if itās able to fit all the computing parts up there anyway, itāll stand as one of the coolest engineering marvels in Appleās history.
š Bigger batteries than many other iPhones
If all the computing power is in the camera bump, the rest of the iPhone Fold needs to be full of something. And it sounds like itāll be batteries.
Both sides of the device will reportedly contain a sizable battery to give the iPhone Fold all-day battery life (or, at least thatās how it reads on paper). Leaks hint at two batteries: one is 1,921mAh while the other is 2,962mAh, adding up to a combined size of 4,883mAh. Previous rumors indicated that the batteries would total somewhere between 5,400-5,800mAh, so itās not clear where the final number lies.
However, this will give the iPhone Fold a bigger battery than a lot of iPhones, with the iPhone 17 Pro Max being the only phone with a bigger battery at 5,088mAh. Dual batteries will help the design stay slim, while also giving the device enough energy to handle the larger folding display. If the 2nm A20 chip and all the improvements in iOS 27 translate to better efficiency, it definitely seems like the iPhone Fold could have rock-solid endurance as a result.
š² iOS and iPadOS hybrid
Apple is also expected to make big changes to the software on the iPhone Fold.
The device will still run iOS 27 and come with all the features and improvements normal iPhones are getting, but the unique hardware will enable a few things. Reports indicate that the device will feature iPadOS-like multitasking features, such as split-screen support for running apps side by side. Larger widgets and drag-and-drop are also expected.
It wonāt feel exactly like using an iPad when the bigger screen is open, but itās clear that Apple wants users to have a similar experience to, say, an iPad mini. And that makes sense: the 7.8-inch screen will undoubtedly feel similar to the iPad miniās 8-inch panel.
š iPhone Fold release date
Apple is expected to announce the iPhone Fold sometime in mid-September after Labor Day. Our best guess is an event on September 8 or 9, live from Cupertino. Thatās also where we expect the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12, and Apple Watch Ultra 4 to debut.
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Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut and co-host of The Shortcut Live. Heās 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.