iPhone Fold detailed in new report — show, cameras and Contact ID, plus 3-year iPhone reinvention

Although all eyes are on the iPhone 17 occasion subsequent month, let’s not overlook that Apple might lastly dive into the foldable cellphone market in 2026 with the long-rumored iPhone Fold.

Following up on earlier stories, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has shared some particulars about what to anticipate in addition to Apple’s three-year roadmap to reinvent its iconic iPhone line.

The iPhone Air begins the occasion, Apple’s super-thin new mannequin to problem the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge. The iPhone Air will change the Plus-sized model of Apple’s flagship and have the corporate’s first in-house modem chip: the C1 modem, which was launched with the iPhone 16e.

Nevertheless, a good greater game-changer is predicted to reach subsequent 12 months. That is when Apple might debut its first foldable iPhone, which rumormongers are calling both the iPhone Flip or iPhone Fold. Gurman claims it’s going to open like a guide to disclose a bigger inside show, much like the perfect foldable telephones just like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Google Pixel 9 Professional Fold.

Apple’s reportedly packing 4 cameras into its first foldable cellphone: one on the entrance display screen, one on the within and two on the again. If historical past serves, the principle rear digital camera will take higher-resolution pictures than the selfie digital camera, however Gurman did not provide a lot in the best way of specs. As for the second lens on the again, that may very well be both for ultra-wide or telephoto photographs. The handset’s four-camera set-up additionally suggests it may very well be used equally to a normal iPhone, whether or not it is opened or closed.

Say goodbye to Face ID and SIM card slot

Just like the iPhone Air, the iPhone Flip (or iPhone Fold) is predicted to ditch the SIM card slot and depend on Apple’s in-house modem for connectivity. In a little bit of a throwback, it’s going to additionally use Contact ID as a substitute of Face ID. That will seem to be a step backward contemplating Apple’s adoption of Face ID for all the perfect iPhones, nevertheless it’s more likely to hold the foldable from getting too cumbersome when closed.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has stated the iPhone Flip will likely be between 9mm and 9.5mm when folded, with the opened gadget estimated to fall someplace between 4.5mm and 4.8mm skinny. It might be powerful to suit Apple’s TrueDepth digital camera system, a necessity for Face ID, inside such a skinny chassis. In the meantime, the Contact ID fingerprint sensor has a a lot smaller footprint, making it the apparent option to shave off a number of centimeters.

Foldable iPhone’s value might make or break it

iPhone 17 series dummy models — (Picture credit score: AppleTrack)

Apple’s first foldable gadget is predicted to attract loads of consideration, although whether or not followers selected it over the usual iPhone will hinge closely on value.

Except Motorola, most Android foldables already include a hefty price ticket, beginning at $1,099 for the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and approaching $2,000 for extra premium choices. Even Samsung’s Galaxy Flip 7 SE begins at $899, and that is the price range possibility.

Given Apple’s historical past, its tackle a foldable cellphone is not more likely to are available in any cheaper. In response to Gurman, the debut mannequin will solely are available in black or white, and suppliers are gearing up for mass manufacturing to start out early subsequent 12 months forward of a fall 2026 launch.

iPhone design overhaul set for 2027

tinted app icons in ios 26 liquid glass interface — (Picture credit score: Apple)

Lastly, in 2027, Apple plans to have a good time the iPhone’s twentieth birthday with a design overhaul. In response to Gurman, the corporate is ditching the squared-off corners we have seen on each iPhone since 2020 in favor of curved glass edges.

This redesign appears to go hand in hand with the upcoming new Liquid Glass interface, which Apple’s posed as a key promoting level of iOS 26. This provides rounded edges to on-screen components and provides every little thing a translucent, layered look, permitting the colours behind them to bleed via as if via a sheet of glass.

“The underside line: 2025 gained’t be a revolutionary 12 months for the iPhone. However it would lay the inspiration for main shifts in 2026 and 2027, making it an thrilling time for iPhone followers,” Gurman says.

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