New images claiming to show Apple’s long-rumored “iPhone Ultra” give Apple fans what may be their best look yet at the company’s first folding iPhone. They come from a company ready with a case for the handset, even though it has yet to be announced.
If the images prove to be accurate, there’s a lot to look forward to this fall.
Folding iPhone Ultra on the way in the fall
So many of the early Android foldables were terrible: their displays developed creases almost immediately, and the hinges were fragile. Apple held off making a folding iPhone supposedly because it was waiting until the hardware caught up with the hype.
Apparently, the time is almost here because a stream of leaks shows that a foldable iPhone will launch in September.
The accessory maker iFun is so confident the handset is imminent that it went ahead and made a case for it, as first discovered by Letem svetem Applem.
Pics of the folding iPhone Ultra “in the wild”
Image: iFun
The images created by Ifun Electronics show a device with an exterior screen that unfolds like a book to reveal an inner, foldable OLED display. The phone will be noticeably larger than a standard iPhone when open, with an inner screen approaching the size of an iPad mini.
They, of course, have the company’s case added, but the handset inside is apparently based on CAD drawings and “dummy” units that leaked out in April.
Still, iFun made the most interesting images of the iPhone Ultra released so far. Plus, they clearly show the handset will include MagSafe — there had been questions about whether it would support wireless charging.
What the rumors say
Beyond the images, leaks reveal many other details about the iPhone Ultra. Most notably, Apple will use a nearly crease-free folding display sourced from Samsung.
We expect two touchscreens in the first folding iPhone: an outer one measuring about 5.5 inches, and an inner, foldable one that measures 7.6 to 7.8 inches.
While this will undoubtedly be a premium model, leaked CAD drawings show just two rear cameras instead of the three-camera system used on Apple’s Pro models. Reports also claim Apple may leave Face ID out of the Ultra and instead use Touch ID integrated into the side power button to save internal space.
Still, the device should pack high-end internals similar to Apple’s Pro models, along with iPad-style multitasking to take advantage of the larger screen.
Experts predict the iPhone Ultra price to come in around $2,000.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.
That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)
Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
