Gurman: iPhone Ultra Wows Early Testers, Except for Its Camera

[Dave245]

Apple’s event will be interesting. I think the iPhone fold will start at £2,000 here in the UK, that will be a tough sell BUT for people who want a foldable with IOS, it’s a win.

I’m just hoping that Apple have kept some iOS features back to show off at the September event, in particular multitasking. There is usually one or two features that don’t leak.

 

[AndiG]

Preparing for the upcoming „Hinge Gate“ 🍿

 

[tucupeis]

i hope this one flops. hope apple keeps making the pro and pro max in their current form factor

 

[darthbane2k]

i hope this one flops. hope apple keeps making the pro and pro max in their current form factor

Speak for yourself.
I’m bored of the same old (increasingly heavier) tired slab.

 

[subjonas]

I hope Apple creates two pathways for iPhones--one with the best camera system permanently built in, and one that focuses on being slim and light with a basic camera built in, and either an advanced camera attachment or a slim dedicated camera with good integration to optionally bring on occasion. Because it seems clear that one device will never have both the best features and the best (or even good) ergonomics. But if one chooses ergonomics, then at least they could theoretically have modularity for the times that they want the best features. Because even though modularity results in higher total bulk and weight, the extra bulk and weight is never carried in the hand (unless one is actively using it). If one is using it very often then they of course shouldn't go the modular route.

I don't know how realistic the engineering for this would be though.

 

[helloboo]

i think the name iPhone Air Fold is more suitable than iPhone Ultra as the camera is no where ultra

 

[LouisMac90]

Let me pre order it already!

 

[TechRunner]

For me niche devices like these are more about the form factor than the hardware. When I owned a Z Flip 4 I knew the camera experience would be lackluster but I wanted that particular form factor. At this point I would always expect trade-offs in something other than a "regular" slab phone.

 

[LouisMac90]

Thinking of getting this myself. I like the idea of using it as an ebook reader and a phone in one. Time will tell how much it'll cost in the UK though.

I am the same as you being in the UK I believe for us it will be around £1,899 for the lower storage option this would be a perfect size e reader or comics. Really hope it does have Magsafe not fussed with the lack of Face ID.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Apple’s event will be interesting. I think the iPhone fold will start at £2,000 here in the UK, that will be a tough sell BUT for people who want a foldable with IOS, it’s a win.

Yeah I think all the rumours seem to point towards this device being around the 2 grand mark which is comically high in this day and age but seems to be the ball-park for foldables. I can't say I see a lot of people using foldable smartphones tbh, and I would expect a foldable iPhone to be a rather rare sight. With the talk that all iPhones are likely to see a significant price increase this year, I think it'll be interesting to see the reception they get in general. I am certainly happy to forfeit having the latest Pro device if we see a £100-£200 increase as like many I'd like to see my phone bill come down a bit, not go up. Interesting times indeed and I really do hope we see a reduction in demand tbh as companies like Apple often lose touch with the fact average people buy their products and 45% margins are a dream for any company.

 

[zogzog]

Even for devices with less than half the price, I definitely want a case and a screen protector for a peace of mind. With a foldable, neither really works. It's a pass.

Wouldn't something shaped like a book cover for conventional books be feasible?

 

[LouisMac90]

Apple’s event will be interesting. I think the iPhone fold will start at £2,000 here in the UK, that will be a tough sell BUT for people who want a foldable with IOS, it’s a win.

I’m just hoping that Apple have kept some iOS features back to show off at the September event, in particular multitasking. There is usually one or two features that don’t leak.

I think it will be around £1,899 for 256GB starting price and £2,899 for 2TB but not long to wait and see, been wanting a fold for so long but want Apple's reliability and iOS given I am deep in the ecosystem. I think on launch we will have basic split screen but I wouldn't hold out for full multitasking capabilities at launch.

 

[Scottsoapbox]

The 5.5" outer display sounds like a perfect iPhone Mini update.
😃

The lack of Mini in the line up sure improves the novelty of the Ultra in folded mode.

Imagine trying to sell a $2500 phone when most of the benefits of a “small phone that gets large” are available for less than half price in a Mini.

 

[mikeschr]

I prefer TouchID to FaceID and I don't care about the camera, but the price may cause me to stick with my iPad mini, even though I could carry this in my pocket.

 

[computermilk]

This is a non starter and its really unfortunate , it’s why ive still not purchased any of the android folds as well.

If you make any of these folds have less hardware like cameras then its a non starter.

 

[testcard]

I think the likely UK price will be a deal breaker for me. That plus my OCD would have me constantly checking the fold.

 

[grist44]

Genuinely I don't understand why people assume that taking pictures will require unfolding the phone. What's awkward with taking pictures with an unfolded phone?

 

[Dave245]

I think it will be around £1,899 for 256GB starting price and £2,899 for 2TB but not long to wait and see, been wanting a fold for so long but want Apple's reliability and iOS given I am deep in the ecosystem. I think on launch we will have basic split screen but I wouldn't hold out for full multitasking capabilities at launch.

It will be interesting to see how they differentiate when it comes to iOS updates in the future. With the next big iOS at WWDC next year for example, will they make multitasking only features for the foldable iPhone and give other features to the slab phones.

I’m looking to see if I will be able to replace my iPad with the iPhone foldable. I only use it to watch content such as YouTube, Apple TV+ and listen to music and read books.

 

[macbookj0e]

Oh no not at all haha. It’s just my favorite hobby by far 🙂 my kids and pets, and skateboarding photo/video (although… one guy DID cashapp me when he found me on instagram and I sent him all the shots I took of him at an event 😅) I’ve really been challenging myself to improve my skills lately and I’m having a blast!

I definitely couldn’t pay outright to upgrade every year nor would I choose to even if I could afford it. But new toys are fun, I get a ton of enjoyment out of my phone, and T-Mobile makes it easy for me to upgrade. I don’t mind being “tied” to T-Mobile year after year 🙂

Why not go for an iPhone ultra and then get a dlsr or something for your photography?

Best of both worlds though yes granted you’d have to carry another device around…?

 

[pratax2]

I’m really curious to see what typing will be like on that unusually narrow aspect ratio external screen. Wouldn't the keyboard take up more than half the screen in portrait mode? Either way, I'm sure Apple has a clever solution, and seamless software integration will likely be one of its key differentiators.

 

[macbookj0e]

The 5.5" outer display sounds like a perfect iPhone Mini update.
😃

They were exactly my thoughts, however I’m not convinced my hands are big enough to cope with the extra width when it’s closed for one handed use.

Looking forward to trying it out though as I miss the mini and its small form factor.

 

[Big_D]

I'm in two minds, have briefly had the new Samsung Z Fold in my hands the other week, but 90% of the photos I take with my current iPhone 16 Pro are telephoto or even more zoom. I'd prefer standard + telephoto to standard + wide.

Fingerprint instead of FaceID feels like a step back as well, but understandable, given the thickness restrictions and having to have it on the outside and inside.

 

[Marshall73]

Remember to factor in AppleCare+ for this, I wonder how many repairs it covers in a year for the internal display? Samsung give you one free display repair.

Also, no FaceID is a step back. I hate using TouchID on my iPad mini, hoping they release an iPad mini ‘pro’ with OLED and FaceID.

 

[Pug72]

Why not go for an iPhone ultra and then get a dlsr or something for your photography?

Best of both worlds though yes granted you’d have to carry another device around…?

I've recently done this!
With the omission of a telephoto on the Ultra/Fold in mind and my increasing interest in photography, I bought myself a nice MFT camera (OM-5 MkII) with a 14-150mm lens.

Yes I now carry another device on my walks but the OM5 is compact enough to not be an issue.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

They were exactly my thoughts, however I’m not convinced my hands are big enough to cope with the extra width when it’s closed for one handed use.

Looking forward to trying it out though as I miss the mini and its small form factor.

I think we are in an era where nobdoy needs to have that level of compromise when it comes to a camera. The best camera is the one you have with you and many of us use DSLR/Mirrorless cameras already, but don't want to be carrying it around daily. Smartphones cameras have gotten so good now and the standard raises every single year. The fact we are even discussing a future iPhone that is pitched as a premium device, but lacking a top tier camera is quite incredible IMO. I am sure some will say a bigger screen is more beneficial (to them) than having a Pro spec camera, but that is exactly why this device will remain very niche in the market. I am sure Apple will be very clever with their marketing and say very little about the camera during the keynote, much like they did with the camera control button last year after hyping it up so much in 2024.