This year marks the seventh anniversary of the foldable screen’s debut, and Apple is finally about to deliver its first answer.
Journalist Mark Gurman has offered the closest thing to a “hands‑on experience” leak so far. According to Gurman, he has spoken with several people who have actually used the folding iPhone, and their feedback is strikingly consistent: the device feels good in the pocket, the new hinge mechanism offers excellent hand feel and durability; and when unfolded, Apple has prepared an app layout for the inner screen that closely resembles the iPad’s.
What is even more interesting is the camera. Gurman notes that the folding iPhone’s imaging performance is also commendable – meaning Apple will not go to extremes like it did with the iPhone Air, abandoning the imaging capabilities it prides itself on. However, the absence of a telephoto lens may deter many loyal fans from buying it.
Of course, the price of this foldable could be an even bigger issue – currently, the folding iPhone is estimated to cost over $2,000, equivalent to more than 15,000 RMB.
With just half a month left until Apple’s launch event, the folding iPhone’s true face has already become clear.
1. Folded like an iPhone, unfolded like an iPad
Let’s start with the most basic form. Multiple sources now point to essentially the same solution: Apple has not chosen a vertical clamshell like the Galaxy Z Flip, but rather a horizontally opening “book‑style” large foldable – the popular “wide fold” design.
Earlier dimensions given are roughly 5.5 inches for the outer screen and 7.8 inches for the inner screen. The inner screen’s aspect ratio is close to 4:3, wider than a regular iPhone and more like a shrunk‑down iPad. This is also a clear difference from Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series.
When folded, the 5.5‑inch outer screen is close to the size of the old iPhone mini. Replying to messages, taking calls, and checking notifications still feel like using a one‑handed iPhone. In scenarios like watching videos, handling documents, or video calls, users can then unfold it. Those who have actually experienced this device all say its in‑pocket size is quite nice.
Interestingly, after unfolding, the phone’s interface switches to a layout similar to the iPad’s.
This system design has actually been embedded into iOS 27 already. After this year’s WWDC, we noticed that iOS 27 suddenly added a large number of landscape interfaces – system apps like Weather and Music now have dedicated horizontal layouts; Xcode 27 even introduced parameters such as foldState and angleDegrees directly related to fold status and hinge angle, while the private API MobileGestalt added new parameters for querying the device’s logical screen count.
Apple also began asking developers during WWDC sessions to no longer design interfaces for fixed models and orientations, but to make apps adapt to different sizes and aspect ratios.
Beyond software, the hardware itself is doing its best to solve the classic problems of foldables. According to reports, Apple uses a higher‑quality hinge, aiming to make the inner‑screen crease “almost invisible”; Ming‑Chi Kuo has revealed that Apple’s solution uses a special metal support structure to disperse the stress from screen bending – we have seen similar hinge designs in OPPO and Samsung foldables.
According to leaks, some who used prototype units have praised the hinge’s opening/closing feel and durability. The folding iPhone will also be very thin – supply‑chain sources generally point to about 4.5mm when unfolded and 9 to 9.5mm when folded. By comparison, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 measures 4.2mm unfolded and 8.9mm folded, so Apple’s first‑gen product is already in the same ballpark.
Previously, Gurman also disclosed that Apple tested black and white versions, plans to use its second‑gen self‑developed C2 baseband, and will completely eliminate the physical SIM card slot. The overall device is expected to use materials like titanium and aluminum, seeking a balance among hinge, structural strength, and weight.
From the current information, Apple is not trying to reinvent the fundamental structure of foldables. It has chosen a path already validated by Samsung, Huawei, Google, and others over many years, and then focuses on solving three key issues: crease, thickness, and software ecosystem. The ecosystem may be where Apple truly has a chance to pull ahead.
2. Compromised telephoto and unlocking
Another unexpected advantage of the foldable design is photography. In his latest newsletter, Gurman specifically mentions that the folding iPhone offers an excellent camera viewfinder interface when unfolded. The 7.8‑inch inner screen is close to the iPad mini’s display area, making it naturally more comfortable for composing shots, checking subject positions, and reviewing photo details compared to a regular phone screen.
The foldable structure also means the phone can stand on its own at certain angles, theoretically offering more possibilities for selfies, group shots, and video recording.
Earlier leaks indicated that the whole phone might have four cameras: one on the outer screen, one on the inner screen, plus two main cameras on the back.
However, the rear two cameras may also be the most disappointing part of the device – the first‑gen folding iPhone lacks a telephoto lens. That means its rear imaging system likely consists only of a main camera and an ultra‑wide, both 48‑megapixel – similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s configuration.
People willing to spend over $2,000 on a first‑gen foldable likely overlap heavily with those who care about high‑end smartphone imaging, especially telephoto capabilities – this could be a tough trade‑off.
Worse still, the missing telephoto may not be resolved anytime soon; it may take several more years for the folding iPhone to gain Apple’s most complete imaging capabilities. Apple is essentially making its most expensive iPhone inferior in camera specs to the same‑generation Pro series.
The second compromise is unlocking – Face ID is gone, Touch ID is back. This rumor has actually been around for over a year. Kuo previously stated that to save internal space, Apple plans to abandon the TrueDepth module for Face ID and integrate Touch ID into the side power button. The latest news further solidifies this design.
Technologically, it is not unfamiliar – this solution has been used on the iPad mini and iPad Air for years.
But it will mark the first time since the iPhone X launched in 2017 that Touch ID returns to Apple’s highest‑end phone.
The reason is practical. Foldables compete for internal space far more intensely than regular phones. Two screens, a hinge, a larger battery, and complex structural components all demand space, and Apple wants to keep the unfolded thickness at about 4.5mm – so it has to make trade‑offs in internal real estate.
Compared to accommodating a complete Face ID module, embedding a fingerprint sensor into the side button is clearly more economical.
From these compromises, we can also discern Apple’s product logic for the folding iPhone – its top priority is the foldable form itself. To make it thin enough, with a shallow enough crease and a reliable enough hinge, Apple is even willing to temporarily sacrifice features that have become standard on the Pro‑level iPhones.
3. The folding iPhone is destined to be a niche iPhone
Samsung released the first Galaxy Fold in 2019. By 2026, Samsung has iterated to the Z Fold 8, and Chinese manufacturers like Huawei have even pushed products into tri‑fold forms. Apple’s first folding iPhone enters a mature category that has evolved over seven years.
Yet globally, foldables remain a niche. Gurman cites data showing that foldable phones accounted for only about 1.6% of global smartphone shipments in 2025.
China’s market, however, paints a different picture. According to disclosed data, China contributed more than half of the world’s foldable shipments last year, with sales exceeding 10 million units. Chinese consumers bought more foldables than all other markets combined.
Over the past few years, Chinese phone makers have also cultivated a group of high‑end users willing to pay for new form factors. When buying a phone, they value not just the processor and camera – folding, tri‑folding, ultra‑thin bodies, and new materials and processes themselves can become purchase reasons. This makes China the most noteworthy market for the first‑gen folding iPhone.
A price exceeding $2,000 means the first folding iPhone will struggle to be a volume driver. It is more like a “flagship statement” product: using a completely new appearance to differentiate itself from other iPhones, drawing consumers back into Apple Stores, while showcasing Apple’s vision for the next mobile form.
Its truly important role may not be reflected in sales, but in whether it can leverage iOS and the App Store to transform foldables from a hardware shape into a new software experience. Billions of iOS devices, combined with Apple’s unified requirements for developer interfaces, have the chance to give foldables, for the first time, a large‑screen specification covered by a sufficiently broad range of apps. The software adaptation that Android vendors have not thoroughly solved in seven years – Apple might push the entire development ecosystem to catch up with just one new iPhone.
When we analyzed iOS 27 earlier, we made a joke: the Android foldable ecosystem, after seven years of growth, finally sees Apple’s foldable – it’s like the town of Goose finally meets Zhang Mazi.
If I were to find a reference point for the first‑gen folding iPhone, I would define it as another iPhone Air. Both first attract you with a very distinct product form; whether the sacrifices made along the way are acceptable depends on your own trade‑offs.
People who like the Air are drawn to its slim and light body; critics find ample reasons in battery life, camera, and price. The folding iPhone will likely face a similar reception. Some will love its portable folded size and the large‑screen experience close to an iPad when unfolded; others will stare at the over‑$2,000 price tag, the missing telephoto, and the absence of Face ID, and deem these compromises unacceptable.
It is aimed at a small group of users who are willing to pay for a new form factor and accept the costs of a first‑generation product. The first folding iPhone will attract a lot of attention, and a certain group of people will absolutely love it – but from the very beginning, it is not an iPhone made for the majority.
