For years, the tech community and Apple fanboys have long dreamt about a mythical “iPhone Ultra” — an ultra-premium halo iPhone engineered to sit above the Pro Max and be the most technologically advanced one that Apple has ever made. This year, the Ultra is finally coming and similar to the expectations, it will be the most technically advanced iPhone Apple has ever made – it will be a foldable.
Foldable phones aren’t new – Samsung has created eight generations of foldable phones, and is reportedly making the foldable OLED display for Apple’s folding iPhone.
For Apple, however, a folding iPhone marks a major transition of the form factor, just ahead of the iPhone’s 20th anniversary. It shows Apple’s intention to enter the slowly expanding large-screen foldable phone market and pose competition to its arch-rivals like Samsung and Google.
So, what will the iPhone Ultra be like? Nobody knows for now, but industry analysts and insiders have revealed what this special device could look like.
Hence, here is the latest breakdown of internal test reports and analyst expectations surrounding Apple’s upcoming flag-bearer.
Everything we know about the iPhone Ultra
According to a fresh report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, internal testers, who have had hands-on access to the iPhone Ultra, are overwhelmingly enthusiastic about the device’s ergonomics. Gurman says that testers specifically praised its pocket-friendly profile when closed and its iPad-esque user experience when unfolded.
Furthermore, Apple’s heavily engineered hinge mechanism received high praise for its tactile feel and apparent structural durability, with testers noting the device works exceptionally well as a wide camera viewfinder. These are attributes we observed lately about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 – a device claimed to take inspiration from the iPhone Ultra.
Two major hardware compromises pointed by testers
Despite the positive feedback on design, Gurman’s report highlights two distinct omissions that disappointed early testers:
Only two rear cameras: Unlike the triple-lens setup found standard on the iPhone 17 Pro models, leaked renders and tester reports confirm that the iPhone Ultra features just two rear camera sensors similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8. There is no dedicated telephoto zoom lens, which is a potentially tough sell for early adopters accustomed to deep optical zoom on high-end phones.
Touch ID replaces Face ID: To accommodate the ultra-thin chassis and save internal display space, Apple has traded Face ID for a power-button-integrated Touch ID sensor, a change that caught several test users off-guard.
iPhone Ultra design looks like a passport
Supply-chain analysis from TF International Securities’ analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, hints that Apple opted against a narrow book-style shape in favour of a wider “passport-style” layout, similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8.
The device features a 5.5-inch outer cover screen and unfolds into a 7.8-inch inner OLED canvas (slightly under the footprint of an iPad mini). Reports from Nikkei Asia suggest that Apple achieved a virtually invisible centre crease by utilising a custom liquid-metal hinge structure alongside flexible ultra-thin glass (UTG), allowing the device to measure a slim 4.5mm of thickness when unfolded.
What could the iPhone Ultra cost?
The iPhone Ultra will not be affordable. With the global semiconductor shortage hiking prices for standard models, the iPhone Ultra is expected to come with a premium price tag considering the complexities of manufacturing and the usual Apple tax on a new product. With Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 series starting close to Rs 1.8 lakh this year, reports from Bloomberg state that you can expect the iPhone Ultra to command a price north of Rs 2 lakh, thus positioning it as a halo device reserved for enthusiasts and fans.