A passport-shaped foldable that sets Apple apart
The iPhone 18 Fold design refers to Apple’s first foldable iPhone Ultra, a passport-like foldable phone with a wide unfolded aspect ratio, dual cameras and a thin, premium build aimed at replacing traditional flagship slabs rather than existing as a quirky niche device.
The leaked dummy unit shows a device that feels wider than a regular iPhone and is similar to a BlackBerry Passport, but without a physical QWERTY keyboard and with a slightly smaller footprint. This alone signals Apple is not copying Samsung’s tall, remote-control-style vertical fold. Instead of a narrow outer display that only feels complete when opened, Apple appears to be targeting a compact, passport-like foldable that feels intentional in both closed and open states. It feels compact and solid in the hand and is thin for a foldable smartphone, similar in thinness to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which underlines a clear design goal: normal phone first, mini tablet second.
The wider stance is bold. It should make typing and reading on the outer screen far more natural than on most foldables, and it hints that Apple wants its foldable to be a daily driver, not a tech demo.
Wide, mini‑tablet experience: Apple’s answer to vertical folds
Once unfolded, the iPhone 18 Fold reportedly feels more like a mini tablet, similar to the HUAWEI Pura X Max, with an inner screen closer to an HD aspect ratio. That detail matters more than any spec sheet number. While Samsung’s vertical fold approach stretches content into a tall, narrow canvas, this wide aspect ratio leans into split-screen multitasking and comfortable video viewing, aligning with leaks that the iPhone Ultra will offer a large foldable display capable of split-screen productivity.
According to one leak, “the iPhone Ultra is tipped to feature an ultra-thin hinge designed to minimise the display crease and could measure around 4.5mm when unfolded,” making it one of Apple’s slimmest devices yet. In other words, Apple seems determined to erase the usual foldable compromises: chunky hinge, visible crease, awkward thickness. The dummy unit also includes a Camera Control button, a power button above it, volume buttons along the upper section and a USB‑C port between speaker grilles. These details show Apple folding its newer design language straight into the foldable form.
The result looks less like a sci‑fi gadget and more like a thin iPad mini that happens to fold in half—a clear philosophical split from existing foldables.
Dual cameras that signal Apple’s photography priorities
The most telling part of the iPhone 18 Fold design may be its camera choices. Leaked renders point to a horizontally aligned dual‑camera setup on the rear, paired with a dedicated Camera Control button and a large foldable display capable of split‑screen multitasking. The dummy unit backs this up, indicating the device is expected to feature a dual‑camera system for photography.
Instead of chasing a triple‑camera spec race, Apple appears to be betting on consistency and ergonomics. A horizontal layout better suits landscape shooting when the phone is used as a mini tablet, and the Camera Control button reinforces that this foldable is meant to be a serious imaging tool, not a compromised experiment. The dummy also suggests two front-facing cameras: one at the top centre of the outer display and another near the upper‑left corner of the inner screen. That design gives Apple more flexibility for video calls and selfies whether the device is closed or open, avoiding the awkward camera placements that plague some rivals.
If Apple nails image quality across all these lenses, the Apple foldable camera story could be less about raw specs and more about always‑ready shooting, no matter how the device is folded.
Pricing, positioning and the iPhone Ultra foldable strategy
The iPhone Ultra foldable is clearly not designed to be everyone’s first iPhone. Leaks indicate the foldable iPhone Ultra could carry a starting price of around USD 2,000 (approx. RM9,200) before taxes, and it is tipped to become Apple’s most expensive phone. In parallel, the iPhone 18 Pro is also expected to climb in price, with rumours of a starting price of about USD 1,399 (approx. RM6,440), up from the iPhone 17 Pro’s reported USD 1,099 (approx. RM5,060) launch price.
That pricing, combined with the passport-like foldable design and advanced hinge, underlines Apple’s strategy: this is a premium alternative to traditional flagship phones, not a budget experiment. The event itself is rumoured to focus only on the iPhone 18 Pro lineup and Apple’s first foldable iPhone Ultra, while the standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18e and iPhone Air are said to be postponed until Spring 2027. In other words, Apple is pushing its most ambitious hardware to the front of the stage, while delaying the mass‑market models.
If the leaks prove accurate, Apple is effectively telling early adopters: pay more, get the future first. Everyone else will wait for the next wave.
A foldable moving into Apple’s main act
The timeline signals how serious Apple is about foldables. The company is rumoured to hold its next iPhone launch event on either September 8 or 9, with September 9 emerging as the more likely date due to the Labour Day holiday in the US. Pre‑orders are expected to begin shortly after, potentially on September 10 or 11. Unlike previous launches, this event is expected to centre on the iPhone 18 Pro lineup and the foldable iPhone Ultra, while other iPhone 18 variants slip to Spring 2027.
That schedule effectively pulls the foldable into the mainstream product lineup, not a side announcement. The iPhone 18 Pro is tipped to retain a familiar design while introducing Apple’s next‑generation A20 chip and iOS 27, while the Ultra adds the ultra‑thin hinge that aims to minimise the display crease and hit around 4.5mm when unfolded. Taken together, the message is clear: the foldable is being treated as a peer to Apple’s core flagships.
The leaked passport-like foldable, dual‑camera focus and premium pricing all point in the same direction. Apple is not dipping a toe into the foldable pool; it is preparing to redefine what its most high‑end iPhone looks like—wide, thin, and ready to fold.
