Apple Leaks Reveal Controversial Details and Design of Foldable iPhone Ultra

The very first iPhone was announced by Steve Jobs on January 9, 2007, marking the beginning of what would become a tech staple in the pockets and purses of everyone from teenagers to the elderly. Nearly 20 years later, however, Apple and the iPhone have somewhat fallen out of favor, especially with the release of more innovative (or retro, depending on how you look at it) designs from Android, like its foldable smartphone.

Perhaps in an effort to gain some of that favor back, Apple has been rumored to be designing a foldable iPhone, now known as the iPhone Ultra, since at least 2018. And now, leaked images have given us a closer look at the coming model.

In a series of images and videos shared by Vadim Yuryev on X/Twitter, we can get a much better idea of how it compares to other models. The photos show an iPhone Ultra (Apple’s rumored name for its foldable phone) alongside an alleged iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.

The iPhone Ultra looks as though it’ll be an easier fit for pockets, the standard iPhones’ 6.3″ and 6.9″ displays dwarfing their foldable fellow. That’s by design. The iPhone Ultra is rumored to have a cover display measuring just 5.3″ to 5.5″, unfolding into a 7.8″ tablet with a near-4:3 aspect ratio. This makes sense, considering Apple’s ecosystem is already equipped for 4:3, preventing the need for any tweaks from app developers.

This Isn’t the First Foldable iPhone Ultra Leak

Although we’ve seen dummy units of the iPhone Ultra before, this is our first look at details such as the side-mounted cutout for Touch ID, the sleep/wake button, and the volume rockers.

Typically placed on the side of the phone for intuitive access, the volume rockers on the iPhone Ultra are on the top (although technically they could be on the side if you held the tablet vertically like a giant phone).

Apple is rumored to be making the foldable iPhone Ultra official in the coming months, releasing it alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max this September. For those unaware, that will coincide nicely with John Ternus’ new role as Apple CEO.

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