Big hint Apple’s first foldable smartphone is coming this year

After years of rumors, it seems more likely than ever that Apple will introduce a foldable smartphone this year as part of a shake-up of its entire iPhone lineup in September.

9News.com.au has received ‘dummy’ models of the following iPhones, produced by factories in China using leaked specifications from Apple’s supply chain.

These “dummy” models are built so that third-party case manufacturers can build accessories for the iPhone, ready for release.

Apple’s biggest competitor in smartphones is Samsung, a company that released a “folding” smartphone – the Samsung Galaxy Fold – almost seven years ago, and as is always the case in this market, rumors of a foldable Apple phone have been constant ever since.

What these rumors lacked, however, was any substantiation, something we now have with the existence of a dummy mock-up of a foldable iPhone device.

These samples have reliably showcased the iPhone for many years before it hit the market, meaning this evidence is highly reliable.

Perhaps just as interesting, but not as noticeable, is the lack of a standard iPhone 18 model. Last September, Apple released the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, along with the iPhone Air.

This year, it looks like Apple will shift its September launch event to the premium range of iPhones, with only an iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and the foldable iPhone set to be released.

Both Pro model devices appear to continue the exact specifications of the previous generation; any improvement in processing power, performance, battery life and camera specs cannot be inferred from these mock-up models.

An iPhone Ultra – a possible name for Apple’s foldable phone – will have the ultra-thin design and construction that launched last year with the iPhone Air, but in two halves. Crucially, it has a design that looks more like a passport (with a similar aspect to the Microsoft Duo device) than a traditional smartphone that opens like a book.

This design allows the “open” format to have an aspect ratio that is more useful for viewing video content and operating apps side by side.

A dual-camera system appears on the back, a step up from what launched on the iPhone Air last year, and there also appears to be speakers on the top and bottom, something the iPhone Air was criticized for not having.

By the time Apple can announce and release this phone, Samsung will be on the eighth generation of the Galaxy Fold. Meanwhile, Motorola is pushing ahead with its foldable Razr smartphone models, and Oppo has just released its foldable Find N6 in Australia.

This year is starting to develop as a battle for foldable products, and although Apple is not the first to enter the market, far from it, as with many other products before it, the tech giant could very well define a market segment and create a new demand that all its competitors can in fact benefit from.

Whatever the case, I now feel confident calling it: Apple will release a foldable iPhone in 2026, we certainly don’t know what it will be called.

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