For another $100 you could get an iPhone 17 Pro and an iPad Pro. Or “settle” for a 17 Pro, an iPad Air and some cash back.
That’s tough competition for any device.
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Foldable 'iPhone Ultra' Could Be Missing These 5 Key Features Despite $2,000 Price Tag
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For another $100 you could get an iPhone 17 Pro and an iPad Pro. Or “settle” for a 17 Pro, an iPad Air and some cash back.
That’s tough competition for any device.
Knowimagination
macrumors 68020
The thing this doesn't take into account is the convenience. I've done the pro iPhone and iPad combo and the iPad literally never left my house. It was just too inconvenient for me to take places. There is a price to be put on the utility of a device that fits in my pocket but can somewhat replicate an iPad mini if I need it to.
Granted that value add may not be enough for a lot of people. I think it is enough for me but we will see how I feel once they officially announce it.
The Chinese accessory makers are licking their chops at you. Within weeks, I bet they’ll have a slide-on accessory that includes a C-connector for the port.
I’d agree there’s some convenience to it, but I think the appeal is very narrow. It’s a device for when an iPhone Pro Max is insufficient, but an iPad Mini too large and unwieldy to carry.
I don’t know if there’s enough people stuck in that gap willing to pay $2000 and deal with the compromises.
chars1ub0w
macrumors 6502a
Yes, there are. Tens of millions of expensive foldable phones have been sold by other manufacturers, mostly in Asia. Apple, being conservative, is late to the market, but will enter it with a very polished device, perhaps exploding the segment.
It’s possible. But releasing any sort of $2000 phone into this economic environment is a tough sell.
It doesn’t just have to be good. It has to be so good it will convince people to spend twice the price of an iPhone 17 Pro in a bad economy.
The success or failure of this thing might have more to do with the price of oil than the device itself.
Real question is if this expensive Gen 1 monstrosity is Tim’s final hurrah, or Ternus’ first foray in to the mix. No MagSafe or telephoto is a big step backward at twice the price. You’ll see worse sales than the Air I’d imagine.
If I was taking the reins in September, I’m sitting on releasing this one.
If I was taking the reins in September, I’m sitting on releasing this one.
StoneJack
macrumors 68040
I don’t need action button, third camera, and MagSafe is unfortunately not available. I have used company issued Microsoft Duo and I liked it very much. as a mini tablet it was incredibly nice, but as a phone very frustrating and missed few calls because of Android glitches (or MS glitches). I think Apple will be much better.
JonYo
macrumors member
I just think it would have made more sense for it to be sized like a regular iPhone when closed, like 2 iPhones Airs hinged together. Since it's wider than any current iPhone, even the widest of the Max/Plus models now and in the past, about the width of a standard US passport according to the rumors, as a rigid object it's too wide to fit in my pocket without a lot of a trouble and putting a lot of bend strain on it. It's also too wide to fit in my car's built-in Qi charging spot.
I agree with your “biggest reason” — it is my main reason for being interested in a foldable. But I was wondering:
(1) carrying phone in one pocket, foldable screen [FS] in the other?
(2) The FS is a touch screen, I assume because “… interact … ”
(3) When you interact on the FD, the phone can stay in the pocket?
(4) Wireless connection between FD and phone is Bluetooth?
(5) FS is OLED and 120MHz?
(6) If during interaction you have to authenticate, you have to pull out phone?
(7) How is FS charged?
(1) carrying phone in one pocket, foldable screen [FS] in the other?
(2) The FS is a touch screen, I assume because “… interact … ”
(3) When you interact on the FD, the phone can stay in the pocket?
(4) Wireless connection between FD and phone is Bluetooth?
(5) FS is OLED and 120MHz?
(6) If during interaction you have to authenticate, you have to pull out phone?
(7) How is FS charged?
robfoll
Contributor
Have you not all worked out yet that this site is called MacRumors? And they generate a lot of negative clickbait rumors just to get people onto the page. Why don't you all save your ranting and raging until we actually see the product?
Apple's first foldable iPhone, dubbed the "iPhone Ultra," could be missing at least five key features present on the iPhone 18 Pro models despite its $2,000 price point.
Recent images of dummy models shared by Sonny Dickson and Vadim Yuryev seem to reveal two previously undiscussed missing features of the iPhone Ultra: MagSafe and the Action Button.
iPhone dummy units are intended to take the place of real devices for testing purposes, particularly for accessory manufacturers, who seek to mass produce items such as cases prior to the announcement of new devices, which necessitates a high level of accuracy and manufacturing precision.
Both sets of dummy models show that the volume buttons will be located on the top edge of the device, aligned to the right, similar to the iPad mini. This aspect was first rumored by Weibo leaker "Instant Digital," who said that 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.
While a power button and volume buttons in their new location are clearly visible on the dummy models, the Action button is curiously missing. This suggests that the iPhone Ultra will be the first iPhone model with no Action button or silent switch. Apple introduced the Action button on the iPhone 15 Pro as a replacement for the silent switch, and it has since come to every available iPhone model.
The images of the foldable iPhone dummy models shared so far have been shown alongside mock iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max units. These dupes for the high-end models, like most dummies, clearly show precise indentations for the internal array of MagSafe magnets to help manufacturers obtain correct alignment with their accessories.
Crucially, these indentations are absent on the foldable iPhone dummies, suggesting that the device may not have MagSafe. This aspect remains speculative, but at 4.5mm, the iPhone Ultra is expected to be Apple's thinnest iPhone to date by a considerable margin, so it is not implausible that it could be too thin for MagSafe.
The iPhone Ultra is believed to be too thin to accommodate Apple's TrueDepth camera array, which is required for Face ID authentication and now located in the Dynamic Island. As a result, Apple is expected to revert to Touch ID on the device. The last iPhone to feature Touch ID was 2022's iPhone SE 3, where it was part of the device's budget offering. The last flagship iPhone with Touch ID was 2016's iPhone 7, so the return of Touch ID as the sole method of authentication on what will be the highest-end iPhone will be unprecedented.
As visible on the dummy models, which corroborate a multitude rumors, the iPhone Ultra is expected to sport only two rear cameras. These are expected to be wide and ultra wide cameras, just like the iPhone 17. Unlike the Pro iPhones, there will be no third camera with telephoto capabilities.
Previous rumors indicate that the iPhone Ultra will also not have a SIM card slot, again just like the iPhone Air, being compatible with eSIM only. As a result, the iPhone Ultra could be missing the following features:
- Face ID/TrueDepth camera array
- Telephoto camera/third rear camera
- MagSafe
- Action Button
- Physical SIM card slot
The iPhone Air lacks Ultra Wide and Telephoto rear cameras, a SIM card slot, and stereo speakers. With a super-thin design, a titanium frame, and a glass back, the iPhone Ultra is expected to be very similar to the iPhone Air in terms of design, and it is possible that similar feature concessions will be present on the device when it launches later this year. There are no indications that the iPhone Ultra will be missing stereo speakers, but it is not out of the question given the other design compromises Apple has chosen to make with the device.
The rumored starting price for the iPhone Ultra varies somewhat, but reports agree that it will not be below $1,999. The iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,099 and has all of the above missing features, so the iPhone Ultra's compromises could be controversial given its markedly higher price point. The device is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in the fall.
Article Link: Foldable 'iPhone Ultra' Could Be Missing These 5 Key Features Despite $2,000 Price Tag
That form factor is completely pointless. It looks stupid when closed, it is extremely thick, and the camera sticks out even more than usual. When opened it is not significantly larger than a big iPhone Pro Max. This is a classic example of a product that is released purely because of hype, so that tech enthusiasts get a new toy since the iPhone has become boring to them. There is no real problem that this device solves. A folding toy.
tim-apple-silicon
macrumors member
iMac The Knife
macrumors 68000
If Apple can't get their foldable right after this taking this long, and being that other companies are going to be releasing their 8th generation folds later this year, that is just sad.
iMac The Knife
macrumors 68000
You're question of "What problem does a foldable iPhone solve..." has been answered ad nauseam. Foldables are for people like me, who want a slab phone and a mini tablet in one pocketable device. There aren't any feature sacrifices in my use case. The $2000+ price tag isn't bad when you consider the cost of (in my case, for what I want) a 512GB iPad Mini with Wi-Fi and Cellular - $949 + an iPhone Pro 512GB - $1299 = $2249. And with the foldable, you get both devices in one. Keep in mind for a fair comparison you have to use the iPad Mini w/ Wi-Fi and Cellular, because when I unfold my Z Fold 7 and use it as a mini tablet, it has both Wi-Fi and Cellular. I'm excited to see what Apple brings to the table on this one. I've been waiting years for this!
iMac The Knife
macrumors 68000
iMac The Knife
macrumors 68000
People will just finance them and pay monthly over two to three years. Many Apple fans won't even consider the price tag, they just want their shiny new iPhone foldable.
I've spent years thinking a folding iPhone that can double as an iPad mini would 100% be amazing.
I still believe it would, however if the rumour of not equipping it with the full camera setup the same / similar to iPhone Pro is true that changes things for me.
I switched to the iPhone Air thinking as a point and shoot happy snapper I wouldn't miss the ultra wide lens or the telephoto lens.
Boy was I wrong, lasted 6 months then back to the Pro
Not sure how the uptake will be on the folding model is the price is sky high and the camera specs are not great.
I still believe it would, however if the rumour of not equipping it with the full camera setup the same / similar to iPhone Pro is true that changes things for me.
I switched to the iPhone Air thinking as a point and shoot happy snapper I wouldn't miss the ultra wide lens or the telephoto lens.
Boy was I wrong, lasted 6 months then back to the Pro
Not sure how the uptake will be on the folding model is the price is sky high and the camera specs are not great.
The ultimate for what amounts to the average 71-year-old? Did you think about that when you posted it? In any event, it seems like you meant it as a condescending way of describing both the potential user in your mind as well as the product. Why? What did you think you were accomplishing?
And no, I'm not a boomer.
ProbablyDylan
macrumors 68040
You’re being too generous after the camera, MagSafe, and action button downgrades: iPad Mini $949+iphone (regular) 512gb $999=$1948.
iMac The Knife
macrumors 68000
You can't use a standard iPhone for comparison, because it doesn't have the pro chip and it only has 8GB of RAM. The iPhone foldable will definition have a pro chip in it, and I would be shocked if it doesn't have 12GB of RAM as well. For me, I'm not worried about the camera, MagSafe, or the action button, but I agree that some users will not be happy if these end up being left out.