Foldable iPhone name: What will it be called?

iPhone Ultra is the expected name

Many fans and pundits have got into the habit of referring to the rumored device as the iPhone Fold, but this may not necessarily be the official name. The rumors and leaks from spring 2026 onwards suggest that Apple is looking to call it iPhone Ultra.

In March, Mark Gurman at Bloomberg claimed that the folding iPhone will be one of several “Ultra” products coming this year—though not all will use “Ultra” branding, it’s certainly a possibility for the folding iPhone. Then, the Weibo account Digital Chat Station (which is hit-and-miss) said Apple is looking to use the iPhone Ultra name, too.

Folding iPhone Ultra/Fold release date

September 2026 launch expected

Apple is deep into testing and validation for the folding iPhone, according to the latest leaks. The accepted story is that Apple will introduce it in September 2026, along with the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max (but not the regular iPhone 18).

After a report from Nikkei Asia said that Apple is somewhat behind on the production timetable, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman chimed in to say it’s still on track, though supplies may be limited at first. Apple is aiming to put the device on sale at the same time or “soon after” the non-folding iPhone 18 Pro models, he claims.

According to MacRumors, Barclays analyst Tim Long said in a research note that the folding iPhone will likely ship in December, a couple months after the expected September launch of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.

Folding iPhone Ultra/Fold design & dimensions

Book-like design with a vertical fold rumored

Intended to be a iPhone/iPad hybrid

In 2024, The Information reported that Apple had made a couple of prototype “clamshell” flip-phone designs, where the top and bottom of the phone fold to meet. More recent rumors in 2025 from Digital Chat Station on Weibo and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggest a “book” style fold, with a vertical fold as the left and right sides come together. This is a similar style to the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold.

The overall size and shape is unique for iPhones and folding phones in general. It’s a wider “passport” form factor that opens into a wider aspect ratio than is typical. The best look at it we have is from a dummy model spotlighted by Sonny Dickson on X.

The hinge is expected to be one of its most unique features. Some reports have suggested it will be made of a titanium alloy, while analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported in March 2025 that Apple is exploring the use of LiquidMetal for “durability, enhancing screen flatness, and minimizing crease marks” in the screen. Apple has received several patents for hinge designs, and it’s unclear which the company will use in the final design.

On July 14, Kuo reported that Apple had figured out how to get rid of the fold crease by using metal plates to help “distribute and control bending stress.”

A leak from Weibo account Instant Digital at the start of February says the volume buttons will be on the top edge, aligned right. On the back will be two cameras on a long thin “plateau” similar to the iPhone Air, only black rather than color-matched to the phone body.

The folding phone is said to be at most 9.5mm thick when folded and 4.5mm when unfolded. For comparison, an iPhone 16 Pro Max is 8.5mm thick, and the thinnest iPhone of all time is the iPhone Air at 5.6mm.

Folding iPhone Ultra/Fold display details

Ultra-thin glass display hinge but no visible crease

Rumored to be 7.8 inches unfolded, 5.5-inch (or 5.3-inch) when folded

Ming-Chi Kuo has also reported on the folding iPhone’s set of proposed design details. He says the book-style iPhone will have a 7.8-inch inside display when unfolded, and a 5.5-inch outer display. Kuo says Apple won’t be satisfied until the phone’s display is completely crease-free when opened.

In July, TrendForce made the same prediction, reporting that the folding iPhone would feature a 7.8-inch internal and 5.5-inch external display. A later report from The Information put the screen sizes at 7.7 inches inside and 5.3 inches outside.

Apple is said to be relying on display glass with variable thickness, that is thinner right where the crease will be, in order to help eliminate the “crease” that appears in many folding phones after months of use. Together with an optically clear adhesive to reduce stress on the glass in that area, Apple hopes to have a folding phone that is crease-free and stays that way.

The aspect ratio is rumored to be 4:3, which is the same as an iPad.

Folding iPhone Ultra/Fold specs: Chip, cameras & features

A20 chip, 12GB RAM, C2 modem expected

Dual 48MP camera on rear (no telephoto), under-display camera and a second punch-hole camera on front rumored

Touch ID on the power button

We don’t know what processor the folding iPhone will contain, but based on the release timeline, it will probably feature an A20 or A20 Pro—some variant of the processor found in the iPhone 18.

We expect most iPhones to use Apple’s own cellular modem and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth chips by that time as well. This will probably be the new C2 modem and the N1 for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth.

Due to the very thin nature of the foldable iPhone, and the need for different front-facing cameras when folded up or unfolded, it will reportedly lack Face ID. Instead, Touch ID will be incorporated into the side button much as it is on the iPad Air’s power button.

There will reportedly be two rear cameras (likely a standard wide and ultrawide, but no telephoto) and two front-facing cameras, one for when the iPhone is closed and one for when it’s open.

This iPhone is also said to have the largest battery ever, at 5,000-5,500mAh, according to Weibo leaker Fixed Focus Digital in February 2026.

Folding iPhone Ultra/Fold: Price

Premium price expected: $2,000 or more

Expect the folding iPhone to be a very high-end, ultra-premium model. The very first release is said to cost $2,000 or more… maybe even as much as $2,399, more than twice the highest-end iPhone Pro Max. That’s the prediction from analyst Arthur Liao, who bases his eye-watering estimate on material costs (particularly the panel and hinge) and Apple’s high-margin business model.

The latest rumors from Weibo leakers suggest starting price of RMB 15,999 in China for the 256GB model, up to RMB 19,999 for the 1 TB model. When applying the same yuan-to-dollar ratio as other Apple products, this translates to a $1,999 starting price, up to $2,399 for the 1TB model.