Apple iPhone 18 Fold is coming soon: 5 biggest rumors and leaks going into 2026

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The iPhone Fold could come close to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 in terms of thickness.
• Apple’s first foldable iPhone might bring Touch ID back to iPhones.
• It is rumored to sport a smaller display than the iPhone 16.

Apple is reportedly set to launch its first-ever foldable iPhone in 2026. Ahead of the big iPhone 17 launch, more details about the long-rumored iPhone Fold have emerged. It is said to be a book-style foldable like the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7. 

Also: Apple’s iPhone 17 event is right around the corner – here’s everything we know so far

While rival companies have been making such phones for a few years now, the Apple iPhone Fold will debut in a more mature market. I expect it to be more mature than first-generation Android foldables. However, this also means Apple will be entering a new segment that’s more competitive than ever. 

Here are the five iPhone Fold features that could make it on par (or even better) than Android folding phones.

1. Slightly thicker than the Samsung Z Fold 7

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported multiple times that the first Apple foldable will be similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series. It will also come close to the book-style foldable’s design in terms of thickness and crease visibility. According to industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone Fold could measure between 9- and 9.5mm when folded, and around 4.5- to 4.8mm when unfolded. 

Also: How to clear your iPhone cache (and why you should do it before the iOS 26 update)

For context, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 measures 8.9mm when folded and 4.2mm when unfolded. While a few millimeters might not seem like a big deal, they affect the in-hand feel immensely. That’s why I like the Samsung foldable more than its competitors.

2. Not a tense crease situation

In a recent report, Gurman explained that in-cell touch screen technology could help make the iPhone Fold’s crease less obvious. It is also said to have liquid metal in the hinges to improve durability and help eliminate the crease. It could feature a titanium chassis, with the hinge made from a combination of titanium and stainless steel.

As of now, both the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Oppo Find N5 have small creases, but they get more pronounced with age. Apple’s first foldable crease situation should be better than the two-generation-old Galaxy Fold 5, and it’ll be interesting to see if it comes close to the current-gen models, especially when most Chinese foldables have solved the issue in recent years.

3. Unfolding into an iPad (not iPad Mini)

The iPhone Fold is said to feature a 5.5-inch outer display, which is smaller than the base iPhone 16’s 6.1-inch screen. This will help it unfold into a 7.8-inch iPad-style screen, giving you a 4:3 aspect ratio display. Unlike the iPad Mini’s 3:2 aspect ratio, a 4:3 screen is closer to the squarish aspect ratio of the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7. 

Also: These 14 secret codes revealed hidden menus on my iPhone and Android

As a result, it’ll have more letterboxing in video content than an iPad Mini, but it should be on par with other foldables. You should still get a bigger screen area to watch your favorite shows than you get with a regular slab phone. The inner display is rumored to have a 2,713 x 1,920-pixel resolution, whereas the cover screen could sport a 2,088 x 1,422-pixel resolution. 

4. One less camera than others

Most book-style foldables have five cameras in total: one inside the cover screen, another inside the folding display, and three on the rear, comprising a primary camera, a telephoto sensor, and an ultrawide-angle lens. However, the first Apple foldable could drop a rear camera in favor of housing a total of four sensors.

According to a new report from Gurman, the iPhone Fold will feature a dual rear camera setup, alongside one on the front and one on the inside. So, it could be less versatile than Samsung, Google, and other Chinese offerings. The Vivo X Fold 5 and Oppo Find N5 are on a whole other level of foldable phone photography, and it’ll be hard for the iPhone Fold to beat them.

5. One throwback feature and an iPhone 17 Air-like spec

The iPhone Fold could use Touch ID instead of Face ID for biometric authentication. The former was phased out earlier this year from iPhones with the launch of iPhone 16e. However, Touch ID remains an integral part of other Apple products, including iPads and MacBooks. It remains to be seen if the Cupertino giant opts for an all-new in-display fingerprint scanner or follows the iPad model by embedding it into the power button.

Also: Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: I compared both Androids, and here’s the winner

According to Gurman, the first Apple foldable will also lack a SIM card, like the iPhone 17 Air. (Google recently moved to an eSIM-only format in the Pixel 10 lineup for the US market.) It’s a tricky situation to not have a physical SIM card slot in your phone, and it doesn’t really benefit the consumer, in my opinion. I speculate the iPhone Fold will retain a SIM slot for other markets, like the Pixel 10 lineup, but there’s no confirmation on it yet. 

What else?

The iPhone Fold could feature Apple’s second-generation C2 modem for cellular connectivity, which will be a step up from its first in-house C1 modem found inside the iPhone 16e. The C2 cellular modem is claimed to have “capabilities approaching the latest from Qualcomm.” The iPhone 18 Pro lineup is also touted to use the same modem.

The first foldable iPhone is also said to pack high-density battery cells, which are speculated to make their way onto the iPhone 17 Air in a few weeks. This battery technology is what helped make Oppo, Vivo, and Honor foldables so slim despite packing a 5,000mAh+ battery capacity.

Apple iPhone Fold price and release date

The first Apple iPhone Fold is tipped to launch in 2026, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro series. Apple is rumored to revamp its launch strategy starting next year, when it’ll announce the iPhone 18 Air, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone Fold together, while the iPhone 18 will be launched in early 2027 alongside the iPhone 18e.

Also: I tested the best iPhones: Here are the latest models that suit you most

According to previous reports, the iPhone Fold could be priced around $2,000. This would make it the most expensive iPhone ever, and put it on par with the Samsung and Google rivals. It might be expensive, but the iPhone Fold could propel foldable phone adoption among consumers.