iPhone Fold rumors, launch date, design, features

The iPhone Fold is expected to finally arrive later in 2026, and will be a major departure from the usual. Here’s what to expect from Apple’s take on a foldable smartphone.

The iPhone Fold is a long-awaited device that has frequently been the subject of rumors and speculation. With rival smartphone producers going to market with their own versions, there has been an increased expectation that Apple will eventually do the same.

That expectation, along with the passage of time, also means the Apple rumor mill has a lot to say about the unannounced but anticipated product.

Here’s what we believe the iPhone Fold will look like when it ships, as well as the functionality you can expect from it.

iPhone Fold: Launch window

The rumors of an iPhone Fold have circulated since 2017, with initial claims of mass production in 2020. Rumors since then have gradually changed the expected release period so it’s a few years further away, though the delay stopped being added to in 2024.

By then, the rumor mill had settled on it arriving either in 2026 or 2027. Current speculation is that it will form part of the fall 2026 iPhone release lineup.

However, even though that is seemingly a generally-agreed schedule for launch, it is not guaranteed. Some rumor reports have said that hinge problems have pushed the release into 2027.

As already established by years of incorrect release claims, you should take these rumors with a grain of salt.

iPhone Fold: Wide size

As a foldable iPhone, the iPhone Fold won’t look like a normal model for many reasons. For a start, it has a foldable display.

Opening up like a book, the screen will be more like an iPad mini than an iPhone, and will effectively act like two iPhones joined together in the middle. However, the actual dimensions of the iPhone may not be as narrow as consumers usually expect.

Various rumors have said that Apple will use an internal screen size of 7.76 inches, just shy of the 8.3-inch iPad mini. However, as demonstrated in a December leak of supposed CAD drawings, to achieve this, Apple could make the iPhone Fold squarer and wider than usual when folded up.

When opened up, it could be like a slightly smaller iPad mini. – Image Credit: AppleInsider

The intention is to make the internal folding display closer to an iPad in aspect ratio. That results in an iPhone measuring 3.3 inches wide and 4.75 inches tall when folded, versus 2.94 by 6.15 inches for the iPhone Air.

The resolution is also claimed to be 2,713 by 1,920, which reflects the change in aspect ratio, but would be higher than that of the iPad mini.

Unfolded, it will naturally be double the width of its folded state.

The iPhone Fold will have to be thin, or face being too bulky when folded up – Image Credit: AppleInsider

Since it’s a foldable device, the model also has to be thin to compensate. With the release of the iPhone Air, Apple hinted at how thin it can go, and it may accomplish something similar for the iPhone Fold.

CAD leaks claim the iPhone Fold could be 5.64mm thick when unfolded, versus 5.1mm for the ultra-thin M4 iPad Pro. When folded, the actual thickness will probably be a little bigger than 11mm.

iPhone Fold: Crease-free?

The internal screen is going to be the main talking point, but part of it will be because of Apple’s extremely long research and development of it. The 2017 rumors indicated Apple would work with LG Display on the screen, though by 2022, Samsung Display was brought onboard.

Reports from February 2025 onwards pointed to Samsung Display becoming the supplier of the displays, in part due to its own success with foldable smartphones.

Folding actions will fatigue any flexible screen – Image Credit: AppleInsider

The development reportedly involved creating hybrid OLED panels that combined inflexible glass sections with flexible plastic substrates.

Apple has been very keen to perfect the display, to avoid the creasing problem typically suffered by foldable devices. As screens flex over time, they can crease and eventually crack, which Apple wants to avoid.

While Apple has tried to develop its own crease-free design, by July 2025 it had apparently settled on using a Samsung design instead.

The screen Samsung may well use for Apple’s iPhone Fold has seemingly been put on display at CES 2026. While almost certainly to be used in the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 due in late 2026, it is the best candidate for Apple’s usage too.

iPhone Fold: External screen

The iPhone Fold won’t just differ from the existing iPhone format by having a large foldable display. It is also expected to have a second screen.

The iPhone Fold should have two displays – Image Credit: AppleInsider

The external display is intended to keep the iPhone Fold usable like a typical iPhone when folded up. At 5.49 inches, based on 2025 rumors, it will be a little smaller than the current iPhone 17 display.

With a resolution of 12,088 by 1,422, it will have a pixel density of 460 pixels per inch, matching current-gen screens.

Holding the two halves of the iPhone Fold together will be a hinge, an important element that will also have to help support the flexible screen in the middle.

The hinge has reportedly been a headache for Apple’s engineers and suppliers, it has resulted in some complex mechanisms appearing in patents.

A LiquidMetal hinge will keep the iPhone Fold together – Image Credit: AppleInsider

One thing that did surface in rumors is the material. There is the belief that Apple is going to use Liquidmetal for the hinge mechanism.

It is a material that has better resistance to bending, deformation, and depression, and is 2.5 times stronger and harder than a titanium alloy. Crucially, it does so while also being relatively light in weight.

iPhone Fold: Cameras and bumps

While there are some natural specifications to expect for the model, including the use of the latest A-series chip, the iPhone Fold could have some interesting ideas when it comes to cameras.

For a start, one of the halves is speculated to have the Camera Plateau design as used in the current-gen iPhone lineup. The technique is sneaky, as it lets Apple reposition some of its bulkier components inside it, allowing the rest of the body to be much thinner.

The camera bump may have two sensors, as well as other hidden components – Image Credit: AppleInsider

As for the cameras it could use, there have been claims it will have two on the back, including Main and Ultra-Wide variants, probably at the 48MP level.

For the larger internal display, Apple is interestingly thought to be finally using a hidden under-display camera, while using a punch-hole camera on the external screen.

Since the internal display is so important, Apple will want to do whatever it can to keep it as pristine and unfettered as possible.

That means no notches nor the Dynamic Island camera hole-hiding UI element. Hiding the camera under the display will keep its most important screen clear.

iPhone Fold: Pricing

As a brand new flagship model expected in September 2026, the iPhone Fold will without a question cost more than the current-generation iPhones. However, even that has been rumored about.

In March 2025, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo proposed an estimated price between $2,000 and $2,500 for the model. By April 2025, another leaker refined the range to between $2,100 and $2,300.

The iPhone Fold will be quite expensive compared to a normal iPhone – Image Credit: AppleInsider

A more reliable September 2025 report said the price to consumers will be at least $2,000.

While there’s no real settled-on price by the rumor mill yet, it at least seems that the iPhone Fold will cost consumers more than a Mac Studio to purchase.