The rumored iPhone Fold will feature the "most significant overhaul" to Apple's iconic mobile device yet, according to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter, Gurman wrote that the upcoming foldable will feature a "whole new design."
Every couple of generations, Apple makes notable changes to its signature device. Gurman points out the iPhone 4, iPhone 6 and iPhone X as examples of phones that altered the iPhone's form and function. But according to Gurman, the iPhone Fold will be the "first actual form-factor change" in iPhone history.
As unconfirmed iPhone Fold reports continue to leak out, a picture of Apple's first foldable phone is coming into focus. This phone is expected to be a book-style foldable with a large inner screen for multitasking. The iOS 27 software update is rumored to allow the first Apple foldable to open apps side-by-side, so phone owners could watch videos, play games and more concurrently on their device.
In March 2025, industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo detailed specific design predictions for the device. Kuo reported that the iPhone Fold could have a 5.5-inch outer screen that unfolds into a 7.8-inch internal screen, a hinge made from stainless steel and titanium alloy, similar battery cells to the iPhone 17, two rear cameras, a front-facing camera and a Touch ID side button.
More recently, CAD files for the purported device surfaced online, showing an iPhone with dimensions more akin to a Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold than a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.
According to the CAD files, the back of the device borrows a shape familiar to iPhone lovers: It's a hybridized design of the iPhone 17 Pro and the iPhone Air, including a raised rectangular platform with two cameras, a flat Apple logo flush with the rest of the phone and rounded corners on the non-hinged side of the phone.
There's a good chance that Apple will reveal the rumored iPhone Fold in September, alongside an iPhone 18, iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
An Apple representative didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Watch this: More Than a Folding iPhone: 3 Big Apple Products in 2026 | One More Thing
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If the iPhone Fold materializes this year, expect it to cost a pretty penny. Foldable phones are generally quite expensive -- the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold sell for around twice the price of the companies' flagship devices.
Industry analyst Kuo predicts that the rumored Apple foldable could be priced between $2,000 and $2,500, matching the price band of other book-style foldable phones currently on the market.
Managing editor Patrick Holland, who leads CNET's mobile team, notes that when Apple finally enters a new product category, it often addresses many of the complaints around existing devices in that space.
"If Apple were to launch an iPhone Fold, it would likely come with a design that solves or answers many of the biggest shortcomings that foldables currently have: software, durability, the screen crease and showing the benefit over a regular iPhone," Holland said. "The fact that Apple already makes the iPad addresses many of those issues. And over the last couple of years, we've seen companies make foldable phones thinner, more powerful and have better cameras."
Holland wonders if Apple can live up to the hopes for a foldable iPhone.
"The question for me is, how can Apple launch a foldable phone at scale?" he said. "Even if it's the lowest-selling iPhone, that's still a much larger volume of foldable phones than many phone makers currently sell."
