The foldable iPhone Ultra could be unveiled within days, positioning Apple as a new rival to Samsung, Google and Motorola in the folding handset market. After years of speculation, mounting reports suggest 2026 could finally be the year Apple introduces its first foldable device, widely tipped to carry the iPhone Ultra name rather than the long-rumoured iPhone Fold.
The Ultra branding would place the handset above the Pro line-up, signalling a new tier of Apple hardware. A folding iPhone is expected to arrive at a starting price north of £1,600, making it one of the most premium devices in Apple’s mobile range.
There may be a gap, however, between the announcement and general availability. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests Apple could reveal the foldable alongside the iPhone 18 line-up, but hold it back until later in the year before putting it on sale, mirroring the approach taken with the iPhone X in 2017. Apple has sent invitations for an event on 9 September, where the next iPhones, and likely the foldable, are expected to be unveiled.
That event carries additional significance. It marks the first following the formal transition from outgoing chief executive Tim Cook to incoming head John Ternus.
Display, Multitasking and Design Details
The interior of the foldable is expected to feature a near tablet-sized 7.8-inch display, though it may not replicate the full functionality of an iPad. The Mac-like multitasking Apple added to iPadOS reportedly will not appear on the foldable. Instead, users can expect side-by-side app layouts, still allowing content to be dragged and dropped between apps.
Design leaks point to a book-style foldable that is squat and wide, resembling the original Pixel Fold or the newer Galaxy Fold 8 more than the taller, slimmer Galaxy Z Fold 7 or Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
One of the most notable claims concerns the screen itself, rumoured to have little or no visible crease. Screen creases have long frustrated consumers and critics, and they persist across the category despite becoming less noticeable over the years. Even Samsung’s most advanced Galaxy Z TriFold carries two creases, one for each hinge. A crease-free folding display would represent a significant engineering breakthrough.
The device is also expected to use Touch ID rather than Face ID, reportedly because the thin chassis leaves insufficient room for a TrueDepth camera system. Additional reports suggest the hinges could be made of liquid metal, an alloy potentially supplied by Liquidmetal Technologies, with which Apple has held an exclusive contract since 2010. That material has featured in numerous rumours and several patent applications over the intervening years.
