According to industry experts, Apple's first folding screen iPhone will have an internal screen with a size approximately equal to the iPad mini. There is also an external screen with a size equivalent to the screen of a small iPhone. The internal screen will use a wide frame ratio, different from the narrower formats of folding phones currently on the market.
Apple is under pressure to prove that they can breathe new life into this format. The launch of the folding screen iPhone at the end of the year - which takes place seven years after its main competitor Samsung launched its first folding screen phone model.
According to sources, Apple's design aims to make the device more attractive when watching videos. This also makes it easier for developers to redesign their iPhone applications to resemble the iPad software.
Developers can also adjust their iPhone software to the new interface, using the same ratio as the iPad in horizontal mode. Although providing a similar application experience to the iPad, the foldable iPhone will run the standard iOS operating system - not iPadOS, the operating system for the company's tablets.
This means it will retain a simpler multitasking system, instead of applying a more desktop-like interface introduced in iPadOS 26. It will also not run existing iPad applications immediately upon shipment.
Although the foldable screen iPhone will not run multiple windows at the same time as the iPad mini, it can still display two applications next to each other. This is similar to the important feature of foldable screen phones being made by Samsung, Google and other companies.
During development, Apple concluded that the two biggest disadvantages of foldable phones today are narrow internal screens and visible folds when the device opens. But overcoming these problems is not easy, and that is one of the reasons why Apple entered this segment much later than its competitors.
The company has chosen new screen technology to reduce folds without completely removing them. Although imperfect, this method has the potential to bring the company a marketing advantage.
Another important issue that Apple has made efforts to address is durability, a common concern in folding devices. The goal is to increase the number of times the screen can be turned on and off before breaking down.
The outer screen, shorter than the screen of most iPhones, will bring another new point to Apple: a small hole for the front camera. This detail replaces the pill-shaped bezel on current iPhones. This design will also be applied to the touch screen version of the MacBook Pro later this year.
For the internal screen, Apple has tested two methods. One method uses emerging technology to completely hide the camera under the screen. The other method relies on a small hole in the screen. During testing, the company found that the method of placing the camera under the screen yields poorer image quality.
The back of the phone will have two rear cameras, one less than today's high-end iPhone models. Apple believes that the large screen inside, better performance features and a price of about $2,000 will still help this device top the iPhone product line.
