Dubious leak details the exact specifications of Apple's foldable iPhone
Rumors of an alleged iPhone Fold have been floating around for years, but now a suspicious report claims to have revealed the exact specifications of the device.
The specifications of Apple's foldable iPhone were allegedly posted online.
The purported specs were shared via social media by leaker Jukanlosreve, formerly known as TechReve. Though the tipster has a history of accurate leaks, the details surrounding Apple's alleged foldable iPhone were attributed to "zwz" in the post, and were only highlighted by Jukanlosreve.
Given that the information did not come from the leaker directly, it should be treated with a grain of salt, as this purported "zwz" has no verifiable track record. MacRumors, who originally reported on the information, has noted that they are also unfamiliar with the source.
Dimensions, form factor, and display suppliers
Although the information provided is quite specific, featuring estimated sales figures and details on suppliers for Apple's foldable devices, it doesn't necessarily make a lot of sense at times. For instance, the leak claims that the device will be "comparable to two 6.1-inch iPhones folded together, resulting in a total size of over 12 inches."
If this were true, the device would resemble a 13-inch iPad Air or iPad Pro when unfolded, which would ultimately make for an enormous, impractical phone. Two 6.1-inch iPhones put together would realistically feature a screen size of roughly 7.5 inches diagonally, closer to the 8.3-inch display of the iPad mini.
The display will supposedly be exclusively developed by Samsung, a company which has made foldable devices of its own. This contradicts a different rumor, which claimed that Apple still hasn't decided on a supplier, but aligns with claims that Apple wanted Samsung and LG to develop a foldable iPhone screen that wouldn't crumple.
According to the leak, Apple's foldable iPhone will be 4.6mm thin when unfolded, or 9.2mm when folded. This would make the device thinner than Apple's current M4 iPad Pro, which has a thickness of just 5.1mm. It's also said to be thinner than the rumored 5.5mm-thin iPhone 17 Air or the 5.6mm Samsung Z Fold, making the claim questionable at best.
Hinge mechanism details
Supposedly, the iPhone Fold will feature a "large folding mechanism on the left rear side."
iPhone Fold will have a big hinge in the rear
A report from July 2024 claimed that Apple was working on a foldable iPhone with a top-down design, where the top half folds over the bottom half, much like the Samsung Galaxy Flip. Others have suggested that the device will feature a "wrap-around foldable design," arguably similar to the Huawei Mate Xs 2.
This means Apple could opt for one of three approaches when it comes to foldable phones. In February 2024, it was claimed that Apple was working on two different prototype designs for its iPhone Fold.
Apple's patents show that the company has been working on foldable displays with hinge mechanisms and drop-protection, though it remains unclear if the final product will feature a hinge on the left side or if it will fold in half from the top, making it more of an iPhone Flip.
Battery capacity and camera specs
Thursday's leak also provided some supposed details of the iPhone Fold's battery, which is expected to have a capacity of 5000 mAh in total. The device will reportedly use two stainless-steel-cased batteries, where the battery cells are "3D stacked."
In November 2024, a rumor claimed that both Apple and Samsung were having trouble developing thinner batteries, which allegedly impacted the battery technology of the iPhone Fold, though no specific details were provided at the time.
In terms of cameras, the iPhone Fold will reportedly be equipped with a front-facing camera that uses ultra-thin Meta Lens technology developed by Apple, something previously rumored for the iPhone 17. The rear main and ultra-wide cameras will supposedly feature a hybrid glass-plastic structure.
Release date for Apple's foldables
Apple's foldable iPhone could make its debut in the fall of 2026, according to the information shared by "zwz." This largely aligns with prior claims, though there have also been rumors suggesting that the device was delayed, and that it would launch in 2027 instead.
Thursday's leak also suggests that Apple is working on a foldable iPad or MacBook-type device, expected to launch in 2027. This is consistent with multiple different reports surrounding a potential foldable MacBook, though 2028 has also appeared as a potential release date.
Some believe that Apple won't enter the foldable market in general until at least 2027, while a different, dubious report has claimed that Apple gave up on the project entirely, though this is more than likely not the case.
A shady report
While the information shared on Thursday by the so-called "zwz" aligns with some previous rumors about Apple's alleged foldable iPhone, it's important to bear in mind that it does not come from a source with a verifiable track record.
Given the relative prominence and influence of social media these days, it's become easy for just about anyone to spread information about upcoming Apple products, and there's nothing stopping anyone from making repeat claims based on existing rumors. It could be years before anyone is able to verify if any of this is true, if Apple ever actually releases a foldable.
Rumor Score: Unlikely
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Comments
I would not be an early adopter though, after seeing too many Samsungs with a very unattractive crease over time. I would wait to see if that becomes a problem before buying one.
the other issue is pencil support. I use my IPP as a notebook a lot.
A complete waste of time.
”Shady” especially. Shady connotes a sense of… I don’t know… the possibility of immoral character or unethical behavior, maybe. “Shady” is quite strong of a word to use… while then still saying it’s “Possible”, lol.
I mean, I don’t want an Apple foldable. However, some people do. Why is that not reason enough? That seems like a reasonably-reasonable reason… I reason, lol.
Oh... you meant what it would solve for those buying one? No idea
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/DEiFO4umUWM
The 'folding' aspect adds cost to the device and brings certain tradeoffs.
Hinge assembly, screen and battery considerations. The mini is free of those but can't compete with the star feature of folding phones: to fold in half or even more than half (in the case of tri-folds).
Then there is the question of ubiquitous cellular connections. There might be a time in the future where that is the case for tablets but again, I don't see that happening in the near future.
With that in mind both options should overlap for a while.
The item is over a year and a half out if then. At this point few of these details would be finalized.
Y'all are correct about the rumor score, we're looking into it (I don't want to unilaterally just change it.) Mike has COVID, I was out sick Tues/Wed, and Kasper is deailng with faimly issues. Mistakes happen, but it has been a rough week over here 🥴