iPhone Ultra: Apple's First Foldable

Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch this fall, and recent reports indicate it will be branded as the iPhone Ultra. The device is rumored to debut alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max at Apple's September event, with limited initial supply.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported in April that the device remains on track for a September launch, rebutting an earlier Nikkei Asia report that pointed to production delays. Trial production has reportedly begun at Foxconn, with mass production targeted for July if engineering hurdles are cleared.

Here are six features expected on the new flagship model, based on recent reporting and analyst notes.

Book style fold with a titanium frame

iPhone Ultra is expected to use a book style fold, opening sideways into a format that is wider than it is tall when unfolded. The outer screen is said to be shorter and wider than other iPhone displays, while the inner screen has been described as roughly the size and shape of an iPad mini.

The device is reportedly taking design cues from the iPhone Air, with a titanium border, an ultra thin profile when unfolded, and a folded silhouette said to resemble two iPhone Airs stacked together, though thinner.

Recent rumors suggest the device will measure around 4.5mm thin when unfolded and roughly 9mm when closed. Color options are reported to be limited to black and white at launch.

Apple has reportedly prioritized eliminating the visible crease that affects most foldable's on the market, with Ming-Chi Kuo describing the inner display as crease free and Gurman reporting that Apple's approach reduces the crease without eliminating it entirely.

Two displays in unique sizes

The iPhone Ultra is expected to use two displays. Rumored dimensions are:

• Outer display: 5.3 to 5.5 inches
• Inner display: 7.6 to 7.8 inches

The outer screen is said to be closer to the size of an older iPhone mini, but with a wider aspect ratio. The inner display is expected to use a 4:3 aspect ratio similar to the iPad mini.

Apple has reportedly agreed to source foldable OLED panels exclusively from Samsung Display for the next three years, according to The Elec. Samsung Display is preparing annual capacity for 7 million to 8 million foldable panels for the device, per Kuo.

Two rear cameras and two front facing cameras

Reports indicate that iPhone Ultra will ship with two rear cameras: a 48MP Main and a 48MP Ultra Wide. That means buyers who choose the Ultra over a Pro model will miss out on the Telephoto camera and the longer zoom range it provides.

Because the device has two displays, it is also expected to include two front facing cameras, one for each screen. Apple is expected to use the same 18MP Center Stage camera that debuted with the iPhone 17 last year, with a hole punch design.

iOS 27 multitasking features

iOS 27 is expected to bring iPhone Ultra exclusive software features built around the larger inner display.

Per Gurman, the two main additions will be side by side apps for multitasking and iPad like app layouts. He has also reported that the device will not run iPadOS when unfolded, and will not support the full windowing system that arrived in iPadOS 26. Instead, iOS 27 will reportedly borrow several behaviors from iPadOS without becoming iPadOS itself.

A20 Pro chip and C2 modem

iPhone Ultra is expected to ship with Apple's new A20 Pro chip and the C2 cellular modem. Both components are expected to ship in the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max as well.

A20 Pro is rumored to be a larger than usual upgrade thanks to a new 2 nanometer process and the use of WMCM (Wafer level Multi Chip Module) to improve efficiency. The chip is expected to pack 12GB of RAM, the same as A19 Pro, but with faster LPDDR5 memory for improved performance.

C2 is Apple's second generation in house cellular modem. It will replace Qualcomm's 5G modems with an Apple designed solution that is said to offer several benefits over the current C1 chip.

Touch ID returns

Despite the Ultra name, the foldable iPhone is not expected to support Face ID. Apple is reportedly bringing back Touch ID and integrating it into the power button, in a setup similar to what the iPad Air and iPad mini already use.

According to reports, Apple was unable to shrink the Face ID components enough to fit two separate modules, one for each display, into the device's slim chassis. A future generation could change that.

Pricing and launch

Pricing estimates for iPhone Ultra remain spread out. Most analysts expect a starting price around $1,999 for the 256GB model, with reported storage options of 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. Kuo has suggested a range between $2,000 and $2,500. UBS analysts have suggested a lower range between $1,800 and $2,000, while Fubon Research has gone as high as $2,400.

Initial shipments are forecast at 3 million to 5 million units in 2026, with a second generation follow up expected in 2027. Barclays analyst Tim Long has suggested the device may not ship to customers until December, after the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are already on sale.

It is not yet clear how Apple will position iPhone Ultra in its lineup beyond the September unveiling, but rumors consistently describe it as the most expensive iPhone the company has ever shipped.

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