The Foldable iPhone Ultra Is Designed to Erase the iPad Mini
Apple’s foldable iPhone Ultra is a flagship smartphone with a 7.8-inch 4:3 foldable display, ultra‑thin chassis, and Touch ID authentication that is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro lineup, positioning it as a direct competitor to the iPad Mini for reading, media, and multitasking use cases rather than a niche tech experiment. This is the real story: Apple is not dipping its toe into foldables, it is aiming straight at one of its own products. The reported production order for around 10 million units in 2026 shows the company is planning mass adoption, not a boutique run for enthusiasts. In my view, that scale only makes sense if Apple expects the foldable iPhone Ultra to replace a significant chunk of iPad Mini demand over the next few cycles.
10 Million Units: A Foldable iPhone Built for the Mainstream
The clearest signal of intent is iPhone Ultra production. According to a report citing supplier sources, Apple has asked its partners to manufacture around 10 million foldable iPhones in 2026, up from earlier estimates of 7 to 8 million units. That is not experimental volume; it is a serious bet in the context of roughly 220 million total units targeted for the new iPhone lineup, including 70 million iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max devices. The foldable iPhone Ultra will be announced on 8 September alongside those Pro models, the same stage where Apple launches its main iPhone every cycle. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo even compares the strategy to the iPhone X: a headline reveal in September with shipping pushed later due to limited early production. Apple is treating its foldable phone as a core pillar of the lineup, not a side project.
A 7.8-Inch Foldable Display That Encroaches on iPad Mini Territory
On paper, the foldable iPhone Ultra is an iPad Mini cannibal in waiting. The inner display reportedly measures about 7.8 inches with a 4:3 aspect ratio and a resolution of 2,713 x 1,920, while the outer screen is 5.5 inches at 2,088 x 1,422. That unfolded real estate puts it directly against the iPad Mini’s 8.3‑inch display, but in a device that folds to half the thickness. In everyday use, that means one pocketable device can be a phone, a small tablet, and a multitasking work surface. iOS 27 beta already includes new "foldState" and "angleDegrees" APIs so apps can change layouts with hinge angle, enabling split‑screen multitasking that mirrors macOS window management. That is not a bigger iPhone; it is an iPad replacement with cellular as default. If you carry this, the case for owning an iPad Mini shrinks fast.
Ultra-Thin, Nearly Creaseless—But at the Cost of Face ID
Technically, the foldable iPhone Ultra tries to solve the two big knocks on foldables: thickness and crease. The internal screen is only 4.5mm thick when open, even thinner than the 13‑inch iPad Pro’s 5.1mm chassis, making it Apple’s thinnest device so far. Closed, it reportedly measures 9–9.5mm. To reach that profile, Apple has spent years pushing down crease depth, chasing a solution "regardless of cost," and the result is a fold with under 0.15mm crease depth and a fold angle under 2.5 degrees—shallow enough to be nearly invisible to the eye and imperceptible to the touch. It uses a new optically clear adhesive that flows into microscopic irregularities to reduce light scattering at the fold line. The tradeoff is significant: the foldable iPhone skips Face ID on the inner display and relies on Touch ID in the power button because the TrueDepth camera does not fit in that 4.5mm chassis. Apple is openly prioritizing form factor over its established biometric hallmark.
Price, Timing, and Why iPad Mini Owners Should Pay Attention
The foldable iPhone Ultra will not be cheap, but its pricing underscores how Apple views it: as a premium device that can do the work of both phone and tablet. It is said to start around USD 2,500 (approx. RM11,500) and reach up to USD 3,000 (approx. RM13,800) for higher storage options, while another report says the foldable will "cross the USD 2,000 (approx. RM9,200) threshold," putting it nearly USD 1,000 (approx. RM4,600) above the iPhone 17 Pro and well beyond the iPad Mini’s USD 499 (approx. RM2,300) starting point. Announced on 8 September with the iPhone 18 family and likely shipping later due to early production limits, the device is framed as a flagship, not a toy for early adopters. Apple has even told some suppliers to prepare for extra orders of up to 85 million units in the second half of 2026. If you are an iPad Mini user, Apple is quietly inviting you to pay phone‑money, tablet‑money, and then some for one foldable iPhone Ultra instead.
