Apple iPhone 18 times coming soon: 5 biggest rumors and leaks are going in 2026

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Key takeaways of zdnet

• In case of iPhone fold thickness, Samsung’s Galaxy Z fold can come close to 7.
• Apple’s first foldable iPhone can bring back the touch ID in iPhones.
• This is a rumor to sports a smaller performance compared to the iPhone 16.

Apple is allegedly set to launch its first foldable iPhone in 2026. Beyond the Big iPhone 17 launch, more information has been revealed about the long -term rumged iPhone fold. It is called a book-style foldable like Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.

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

While rival companies have been making such phones for a few years, Apple iPhone fold will debut in a more mature market. I hope it will mature more than the first generation Android foldables. However, this also means that Apple will enter a new segment that is more competitive than ever.

Here are five iPhone fold features that can make it equal (or better) than the Android folding phone.

1. Slightly thicker than Samsung Z Fold 7

Mark Gurman of Bloomberg has reported several times that the first apple foldable will be similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Z fold series. It will also come close to the design of the book-style foldable in terms of thickness and crease visibility. As Industry analyst ming-chi wellThe iPhone fold can measure between 9- and 9.5 mm when folded, and approximately 4.5- to 4.8 mm when it is revealed.

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For reference, the Galaxy Z fold 7 turns 8.9 mm and when 4.2 mm surfaced. While a few millimeters may not seem a big thing, they greatly affect the in-hand. So I like Samsung foldable compared to my rivals.

2. No stressful crease situation

One in Recent reportGurman said that the in-cell touch screen technology can help make the iPhone fold less clear. It is also said that there is liquid metal in the hinges to improve durability and help eliminate the crease. It can facilitate a titanium chassis with a hinge made by combining titanium and stainless steel.

So far, both Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Oppo realize that N5 has small creases, but they become more pronounced with age. Apple’s first folding crease position should be better than two-generations of Galaxy fold 5, and it will be interesting to see if it comes close to the current-gene model, especially when most Chinese foldables have resolved the issue in recent years.

3. Revealed in an iPad (not iPad mini)

The iPhone fold is asked to facilitate the outer display of 5.5 inch, which is smaller than the 6.1-inch screen of the base iPhone 16. This will help reveal it in a 7.8-inch iPad-Style screen, giving you a 4: 3 aspect ratio display. Unlike the 3: 2 aspect ratio of iPad mini, a 4: 3 screen Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 are close to the square aspect ratio of 7.

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As a result, it will have more letterboxing in video content than iPad mini, but it should be equal to other foldables. You should still get a large screen area to watch your favorite show, which you get with a regular slab phone. The internal performance is rumored to have a 2,713 x 1,920-pixel resolution, while the cover screen can sports 2,088 x 1,422-pixel resolution.

4. A lower camera than others

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

According to a new report by Gurman, the iPhone fold will have a dual rear camera setup, with a front side and one inside. So, it can be less versatile than Samsung, Google and other Chinese offerings. Vivo X Fold 5 and Oppo Find N5 foldable phones are at an entire other level of photography, and it will be difficult to defeat them for iPhone folds.

5. A throbac feature and an iPhone 17 Air-Like Spec

The iPhone can use a touch ID instead of face ID for fold biometric authentication. East was phased out with iPhones with the launch of iPhone 16E earlier this year. However, Touch ID is an integral part of other Apple products including iPads and MacBook. It remains to be seen whether Cupertino giants opt for a new in-display fingerprint scanner or follow the iPad model by embedding it in a power button.

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

According to Gurman, the first Apple foldable will have a SIM card shortage like the iPhone 17 Air. (Google recently moved into an ESIM-ONLY format in the Pixel 10 lineup for the US market.) This is a difficult situation not to slot the physical SIM card in your phone, and it does not actually benefit the consumer in my opinion. I guess that the iPhone fold will maintain a SIM slot for other markets like the 10 lineup, but no confirmation has been made yet.

What else?

The iPhone can facilitate Apple’s second generation C2 modem for fold cellular connectivity, which will be a step from its first in-house C1 modem found inside the iPhone 16E. The C2 Cellular Modem claims that “capabilities to contact the latest with Qualcomm”. The iPhone 18 Pro lineup is also postponed to use the same modem.

First foldable iPhone is also asked to pack High density battery cellsWhich is estimated to make its way on the iPhone 17 Air in a few weeks. This is the battery technique that helped to thin so much of Oppo, Vivo and Honor foldables despite packing 5,000mAh+ battery capacity.

Apple iPhone fold price and release date

The first Apple iPhone fold is set to launch with the iPhone 18 Pro series in 2026. Apple is rumored to resume its launch strategy starting next year, when he will announce the iPhone 18 Air, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the iPhone fold together, while the iPhone 18 will be launched in early 2027 with the iPhone 18E.

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

According to previous reports, the price of iPhone fold can be around $ 2,000. This will make it the most expensive iPhone ever, and will place it on the summary with Samsung and Google rivals. This can be expensive, but the iPhone can work to adopt foldable phones among consumers.