Apple has spent years watching Samsung, Google, and Huawei stumble through the foldable phone era — refining their hinges, improving their creases, and slowly building a market. Now, with September 2026 approaching, everything points to Apple finally showing up. And based on the leaks flooding in from supply chain sources and Weibo-based leakers this week, the company is not just joining the conversation. It appears to be trying to rewrite it.
Here is everything we know.
iPhone Ultra not “iPhone Fold”
The name “iPhone Fold” has been floating around tech circles for years, borrowed from Samsung’s playbook. But two credible Chinese leakers, Digital Chat Station and Instant Digital, are now pointing to a different name entirely: iPhone Ultra.
Digital Chat Station, who has over three million followers on Weibo and a solid track record of accurate Apple leaks, claims the foldable will launch as the “iPhone Ultra” rather than “Fold.” It is a deliberate branding choice. Apple already uses the Ultra label to signal its most premium products — the Apple Watch Ultra, the M1 and M3 Ultra chips, and more recently, CarPlay Ultra. Calling the foldable “Ultra” frames it not as just a different form factor, but as the pinnacle of the iPhone line.
Leaker Instant Digital, in a new post, corroborated the Ultra naming, listing the fall 2026 lineup as: iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone Ultra. With the latter being the foldable.
What the Foldable Looks Like
Dummy models, non-functional prototypes that accessory makers use to design cases before a phone launchesm leaked this week courtesy of leaker Sonny Dickson. They confirm the form factor.
The foldable will use a book-style design, wider than it is tall, giving it a 4:3 aspect ratio similar to an iPad. When open, it delivers an iPad mini-sized OLED inner display. When closed, there is still a usable outer screen. Specifically, the inner display is expected to measure around 7.76 inches, with the outer display sitting at approximately 5.49 inches.
One detail Apple has reportedly chased “regardless of cost”: no visible crease. The crease, which plagues most foldables on the market today, is described by leakers as “nearly invisible” on Apple’s device, thanks to a new material the company has developed specifically for this purpose. If true, this alone would set the iPhone Ultra apart from every other foldable currently available.
The dummy models also reveal that the foldable will have two rear cameras, not three like on the Pro, and notably, no MagSafe ring visible on the back. That is a significant trade-off for a device expected to start above $2,000.
How Much Will It Cost?
Weibo leaker Instant Digital claims the foldable will come in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage configurations, with pricing starting around $2,320 and going up to approximately $2,900 for the 1TB model. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, one of the most reliable Apple journalists, has separately reported the device will “cross the $2,000 threshold.”
For context: the iPhone 17 Pro Max which is currently Apple’s most expensive standard iPhone, starts at $1,199. This foldable would cost more than double that at the top end.
When Is It Actually Coming?
This is where things get complicated. Apple will almost certainly announce the iPhone Ultra alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models at its September event, but the device may not ship to customers in September. The foldable could launch as late as December 2026.
Leaker Fixed Focus Digital, however, is pushing back on delay fears: “It’s definitely coming out this year… Production lines are already in the final stages of processing.” He also says Apple has increased foldable display inventory by 20%, with an initial stock of 11 million units prepared.
iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: What’s Changing
While the foldable grabs headlines, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are shaping up to be meaningful upgrades in their own right.
The headline spec is Apple’s first 2-nanometer chip, the A20 Pro, built on TSMC’s most advanced process. This brings performance and efficiency improvements over the current A19 Pro. Apple is also debuting its in-house C2 modem, which could finally bring mmWave 5G support to iPhones, something Qualcomm chips have offered for years.
On cameras, variable aperture technology on the main camera is rumoured, which would let users mechanically adjust how much light reaches the sensor. This is a feature common in professional cameras but largely absent from smartphones. It would meaningfully change how iPhone Pros handle bright outdoor shots and low-light scenes.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max is expected to measure 8.8mm thick, a marginal increase over the current 8.75mm, with the extra space dedicated to battery. A confirmed selling point, per leaker Digital Chat Station: the A20 Pro chip, over 5,000mAh battery capacity, and camera aperture changes.
Design changes are minimal. Expect familiar sizing (6.3-inch Pro, 6.9-inch Pro Max), a smaller Dynamic Island, and new colours including a deep red or burgundy and a coffee brown. No black option, according to leakers.
The Bigger Picture
Apple’s entry into the foldable category could accelerate overall foldable market growth toward or above 30% annual expansion. Samsung currently dominates foldable shipments at around 64% of global units, but analysts expect Apple to capture a significant share in its first year.
For African markets, including Kenya, pricing will be the central conversation. At a starting price north of $2,000 ,well over KES 250,000 at current exchange rates (and with how we’ve seen the MacBook Neo cost KES 130,000 from $600 thanks to greed and taxes) the iPhone Ultra will be aspirational hardware for most buyers.
There have also been serious rumors that the standard iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e will not launch in September. They are being pushed to spring 2027.
