Apple is finally doing it. More than five years after Samsung launched the first foldable phone, Apple is expected to disclose its own foldable iPhone at the September 9 event. It’s determining up to be one of the most closely watched Apple launches in years, partly because of the new form factor and partly because it marks the first major product event under incoming CEO John Ternus, who’s taking over from Tim Cook.
Apple hasn’t confirmed most of the details, but leaks have painted a fairly clear picture of what’s coming.
What Do We Know About the Foldable iPhone Ultra
The foldable iPhone, expected to be called the iPhone Ultra, will reportedly cost more than $2,000, feature a 5.5-inch cover display that unfolds into a 7.8-inch iPad-like screen, and skip both the telephoto camera and Face ID in favor of a side-mounted Touch ID button.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who’s tested the device, has described it as having a premium feel that still fits comfortably in a pocket. Key specs so far:
- 5.5-inch cover display, expanding to 7.8-inch when unfolded
- Dual-lens rear camera (main and ultra-wide), no telephoto lens
- Touch ID side button instead of Face ID
- MagSafe support
- Shorter and wider profile than a standard iPhone when folded
At more than $2,000, it won’t be cheap, though it’s still far less than the $3,500 Apple Vision Pro.
Will the Foldable iPhone Have the Crease Problem
Apple has reportedly developed a display designed to minimize the visible crease that has plagued other foldable phones, though it’s unclear whether it eliminates the issue entirely.
The crease has been the most persistent complaint about foldable phones industry-wide, a visible line down the middle of the screen where it folds. It’s a difficult engineering problem, and while Apple is said to have made progress, we won’t know how well it worked until the phone is in people’s hands.
Will the Foldable iPhone Run iOS or iPadOS
The foldable iPhone will run iOS rather than iPadOS, despite unfolding into a screen roughly the size of a small iPad, and it will support side-by-side multitasking similar to other foldable devices.
That’s a notable choice. Apple could have leaned on iPadOS given the screen size, but reports indicate the phone is powerful enough to handle multitasking on iOS thanks to the same chip reportedly used in Apple’s budget MacBook Neo laptop.
What’s Happening with the Regular iPhone 18 Line
Apple is expected to introduce the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max at the September event, while the standard iPhone 18 model is predicted to arrive roughly six months later, marking a first for Apple in releasing premium models ahead of the standard version.
That’s a shift from Apple’s usual release pattern, where the standard and Pro models typically launch together. Leaks around the standard iPhone 18 remain thin compared to the Pro lineup.
Is Apple Releasing New HomePods and Siri Upgrades
Apple is expected to refresh the HomePod lineup alongside its Gemini-powered Siri overhaul, with references to unreleased HomePod hardware recently spotted inside a macOS preview build.
This lines up with Apple’s broader push to finally modernize Siri after years of criticism that the assistant lagged behind competitors. A refreshed HomePod would give the improved Siri a more capable hardware platform to run on at home.
Are AirPods with Cameras Coming
Leaked footage from a macOS preview build suggests Apple is developing AirPods with built-in cameras designed to power Siri’s Visual Intelligence features, allowing the earbuds to capture low-resolution visual information rather than take photos or videos.
Researcher Aaron Perris found a demo video showing someone wearing the AirPods and picking up a book, with a voiceover describing the ability to “save” things you see using Visual Intelligence. Gurman has reported that the cameras function essentially as eyes for Siri rather than as a camera for capturing content, which may ease some of the privacy concerns comparisons to camera-equipped smart glasses have raised elsewhere in the industry.
What to Watch for on September 9
Between the foldable iPhone Ultra, the iPhone 18 Pro lineup, a possible HomePod refresh, and camera-equipped AirPods, Apple’s September event has more moving parts than usual. The foldable phone remains the headline story, both for its price tag and for what it says about Apple finally entering a product category rival have occupied for half a decade. Whether it lives up to the hype will depend on hands-on details Apple has yet to confirm.
