Apple’s first foldable iPhone has surfaced once more through a new image shared by leaker Ice Universe on Weibo, showing what appears to be a dummy unit in a silver-white finish. And honestly, the most surprising thing here is not that Apple finally entered the foldable race — it’s the direction the company chose.
Instead of chasing the tall, narrow “book-style” format popularized by Samsung and others, Apple seems to be leaning into a wider footprint for the iPhone Fold. The unfolded dimensions previously leaked — around 167.6 mm wide and 120.6 mm tall — suggest a device designed more like a compact tablet that folds in half, rather than a stretched phone trying to become one.
Visually, the prototype for this iPhone Ultra feels extremely conservative. Two cameras. Flat surfaces. Rounded rectangle camera island. Silver and dark blue reportedly being the only launch colors. No flashy titanium gold, no vibrant product red, no experimental finishes. It almost resembles the philosophy behind the iPhone X launch in 2017: minimal, controlled, intentionally sterile.
Foldables became interesting because brands experimented. Some went ultra-thin, others exaggerated camera modules, added asymmetry, leather textures, visible hinges or daring colorways. Apple’s design, at least from this leak, feels calculated to avoid risk at all costs. Clean? Yes. Memorable? Less so.
There is also something slightly unfinished about the proportions. The large blank rear panel and small dual-camera setup create an oddly empty visual balance, especially for a device rumored to cost over $2,000. In a market where foldables increasingly look futuristic, this one currently feels more like an enlarged iPhone Air folded in half.
Apple rarely enters a category first. It enters late, simplifies the formula and relies on ecosystem polish, software optimization and brand trust to dominate shipments quickly. Analysts already expect the device — rumored as either iPhone Fold or iPhone Ultra — to push Apple into the global Top 3 foldable makers shortly after launch.
The foldable iPhone is expected to debut alongside the iPhone 18 Pro lineup this September, though supply constraints and manufacturing complexity could limit availability well into 2027.
via macrumors
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