Main points
- Apple is unlikely to release a foldable smartphone called the iPhone Fold. Instead, it has chosen a different name that will emphasize its elite status and technical superiority.
- Due to technical difficulties, the release may be delayed until 2027, and the starting price will be between $2,000 and $2,500.
Foldable iPhone: Apple has chosen a name / Collage of Channel 24
Apple is preparing to release its most ambitious device yet, one that will change the way the company's smartphone lineup is perceived. Despite long-rumored names like the Fold, recent leaks point to a completely different branding that will emphasize the new product's elite status and its technical superiority over other models.
What could Apple's first flexible smartphone be called?
For a long time, journalists and analysts have been calling the upcoming new product the iPhone Fold, but recent data from a well-known insider Digital Chat Station indicates a change in branding strategy. Apple is allegedly planning to use the name iPhone Ultra for its first foldable device in a book format, writes MacRumors.
This decision seems like a logical step within the existing ecosystem, where the Ultra prefix is already used for the most advanced Apple Watch and the most powerful M1 and M3 processors. Moreover, competitors call their top models that way. Moreover, analysts suggest that this premium label may eventually appear on the MacBook with a touch screen and new models of AirPods equipped with cameras.
The iPhone Ultra is expected to feature an external display measuring between 5.3 and 5.5 inches, while the internal flexible screen will measure around 7.8 inches. The device will feature front-facing cameras that work both when closed and open, and a dual main camera on the back.
Interestingly, the company deliberately abandoned the clamshell form factor, which is popular among many competitors. Apple engineers concluded that such a design does not create unique and useful usage scenarios, but only makes the device more compact when folded, while limiting the internal space for the battery and other components.
Not everything is going well.
However, the technical complexity of the project has already led to serious obstacles in the development phase. According to Nikkei Asia, Apple encountered unexpected problems during engineering tests. The production cycle turned out to be much more difficult than expected, which forced the company to warn suppliers about possible shifts in component production schedules.
If earlier analysts from Barclays and Bloomberg predicted a release for December 2026, now there are reasonable fears that the release of the iPhone Ultra may be postponed until 2027, writes 9to5mac.
Such a delay would not be new for Apple. The company has previously practiced separate model launches, as it did with the iPhone X in 2017, and later with the iPhone XR and iPhone 14 Plus. Apple probably wants to maximize production capacity for the standard iPhone 18 Pro models before launching such a complex product as a foldable smartphone.
How much will the new product cost?
The price of the new gadget also promises to be record-breaking. The starting price of the iPhone Ultra could range from $2,000 to $2,500. According to previous leaks from Chinese social networks, the model with a maximum memory capacity of 1 terabyte will cost about $2,900-$3,000.
At the same time, some experts express doubts about the appropriateness of the Ultra name. They point out that the device may not receive the Face ID system under the screen or have fewer cameras compared to the flagships of the Pro line, which is somewhat at odds with the image of the company's most technologically advanced smartphone.