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First Foldable iPhone Design Details Revealed

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Apple's first foldable iPhone will feature relocated volume buttons, an all-black camera plateau, a smaller Dynamic Island, and more, according to design leaks from a known Weibo leaker.

Apple-Foldable-Thumb.jpg

The user known as "Instant Digital" today claimed to share several key details about the design of the foldable iPhone:

  • The volume buttons will be located on the top edge of the device, aligned to the right, similar to the iPad mini.
  • The Touch ID power button and Camera Control continue to be located on the right edge of the device, just like other recent iPhones.
  • The left side of the device is smooth and does not have any buttons.
  • The front-facing cameras feature a single punch-hole design, resulting in a smaller Dynamic Island.
  • The back left of the device features an iPhone Air-style camera plateau, containing two horizontally arranged cameras, the microphone, and the flash. Unlike the iPhone Air, the camera plateau appears to be completely black and not match the color of the device's body.
  • The only "confirmed" color option is said to be white, but a single additional color is expected to be available upon launch, giving customers just two choices.

The motherboard is apparently located on the right side of the device. As to not run cables across the screen to the left side for the volume buttons (where they are located on all other iPhone models), Apple is said to have decided to run them directly upwards, which maximizes internal space.

The internal structure purportedly features an innovative stacked design, with the space being almost entirely dedicated to the display and battery. It is also said to feature the biggest battery ever used in an iPhone.

Instant Digital has a good track record for Apple rumors and has provided some strikingly accurate information, such as the imminent launch of 2023's Yellow iPhone 14, the frosted back glass of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, the Apple Watch Series 9 as a minor refresh, spatial video capture on the iPhone 15 Pro, the iPad Air and iPad Pro's move to a landscape front-facing camera, the M4 iPad Pro's nano-texture display option, the iPhone 16 Pro's battery capacities, and continued Apple Watch band compatibility through the Apple Watch Series 10.

For the iPhone 17 Pro alone, the leaker reported the device's 256GB base storage configuration and its improved telephoto camera, as well as its improved battery life, thermal design, and display brightness. As a result, their reports are worth taking seriously.

Other rumors suggest that Apple's first foldable iPhone will feature a 7.8-inch crease-free inner display, a 5.5-inch cover display, Touch ID, two rear cameras, the A20 chip, and the "C2" modem. It is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max later this year.

Article Link: First Foldable iPhone Design Details Revealed
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/02/02/first-foldable-iphone-design-details-revealed/
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Reactions: JPack, Z-4195 and Anaxarxes
If they can give this an iPad style 'breakthrough price', say £1,300, then I would be interested.

Yes still expensive, but undercuts existing foldables and fits in with the ramp up from previous iPhones. Regular iPhone £800, Air £1000, Pro £1100, Fold £1300.
 
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The big question is still what does the OS look like on it. Do we just get big iOS apps on the inner screen or do we get iPadOS? If it's iPad software, do we get split-screen and slideover and everything on the outer screen as well, or is that still stuck in a single window mode? What happens to an app open on one of the displays when you open or close the device? Lots of things to figure out and I doubt they will get them all correct in 27.0.
 
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For any doubters about foldable phones, I recently changed my Pixel 9 Pro for a Pixel 10 Pro Fold and I love it.

I travel with work and spend time in hotels, and the ability to open it up and watch movies on a larger screen is so useful.
You can see the crease if you look, especially when the screen is off, but once it's on and you're watching a movie you don't notice it.

I love it so far and I'm absolutely certain Apple's implementation will be an improvement.

It'll come down to cost, I managed to get mine for £875 which was too good a deal to miss.
 
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I’m surprised they are cutting out the LIDAR sensor… especially for a phone targeting the “Prosumer” market. I’m definitely interested in this phone just for the sake of having a pocket iPad mini wherever I go but as a Pro Max user, it seems like Apple is cutting a lot back compared to the other foldables which try to keep up with their non folding flagship siblings.

Looks like the Action button is gone too
 
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If it doesn't support some form of stylus for handwritten note taking, I'm far less likely to spring for this. When opened, it needs to be at least as functional as my iPad mini--and that means Apple Pencil (or some other alternative stylus) support, as well as the ability to read eBooks oriented in portrait mode.

Alas, I'm beginning to think this will not be the iPhone/iPad fusion device I'm hoping for. I certainly hope I am wrong.
 
So maybe I missed it, but the inner display camera is under the screen but the outer display is a hole punch?

Why not make them both under displays? (Wonder if its cost, if it is, why make one over the other?)
 
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Interesting if they actually manage to achieve a durable scratch resistant 'crease-free' display. I'm skeptical.

I personally don't like folding screens anyway. To me a phone is for accessing quick information in a compact discrete form factor. Having to unfold the damn thing every time you use it is just adding an annoying extra step. I don't like wallet cases for the same reason. I don't want my phone to be a mini tablet, even if it can fold up and fit in my pocket.

To be honest we are all stuck to our phones too much as it is. If Apple really cared about the world in the way they pretend to, they would invent 'methaphone' to treat the addiction and bring socialising back into fashion.
 
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dual camera will be a deal breaker, at least for me.

while the competition can cramp in 3 cameras, I'm a bit surprised Apple wouldn't, especially at this expected price point.
 
I’m super excited about foldable from Apple. I hope the rumor is regarding the 5.5 inch display our wrong is that seems a bit small. 6 inch book style fold would be great!
 
Volume buttons on the top with Power & Camera Control buttons on the right - but what about the Action Button? Surely that’s been much better received than the Camera Control?

I wonder how good the inner display will be in comparison whether if it will also sport 3000 max nits & 1 nit minimum brightness, 3 x times scratch-resistant screen, 7-layer anti-reflective coating & perhaps a digitiser for Apple Pencil Pro support?
 
I’m so used to a Pro Max screen that the smaller outer screen of current foldables feels too confining. A foldable would only make sense to me if I needed the iPad mini sized interior more often. I prefer driving mostly with one hand so losing the extra real estate for most of my usage makes this less appealing.

But man, I get the appeal. I would love to need a device like this. It will fit other people’s usage for sure.
 
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