I've reviewed Android foldables for years. The iPhone Ultra needs these 5 things to succeed

The world’s first commercially available folding phone was the Royole FlexPai, and I still distinctly remember using it at CES 2019, thinking to myself, “There’s no way anyone’s buying this.” And, probably nobody did. But that product lit the spark for companies like Samsung and HUAWEI to take up the challenge and lead us to where we are today with foldables.

Since then, I’ve reviewed and used many Android foldables, including Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series, OnePlus’ brilliant OnePlus Open debut foldable, and various flip phones from Chinese manufacturers. While foldables aren’t for me personally, I’ve seen and used enough to know what separates successful ones from failures.

All leaks strongly suggest that Apple might indeed announce its first folding phone, dubbed the iPhone Ultra, during its September 2026 hardware event. Prepare your mind and wallet for what’ll most likely be the most expensive iPhone yet. Apple can still justify it, though, if it nails these fundamentals.

Form-factor and durability will be the key differentiators

The in-hand comfort of a folding phone is a make-or-break moment for me. It took Samsung years to warm up to the idea of a wider aspect ratio for its Z Fold series, something I felt OPPO nailed with its debut Find N, back in 2021. For Apple, the iPhone Air is a solid blueprint to start with. The screen size is perfect, slightly larger than the standard iPhone but not unwieldy like the Pro Max models. Plus, renders of the iPhone Ultra from June 2026 suggest Apple is going the OPPO route, with a wider aspect ratio and heavily rounded corners.

Ergonomics will also play a big part in the iPhone Ultra’s success. It’s reportedly expected to measure 4.5mm thick, which is even slimmer than the Air, but only a bit thicker than Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 series. The iPhone Ultra doesn’t have to compete for the “thinnest foldable” crown; it just needs to be slim enough when folded to still feel like a standard smartphone. Weight is another factor, and I hope Apple can make it lighter than the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Last but not least, the iPhone Ultra has to have proper dust and water protection. To date, only a handful of Android foldables, like the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold, have it. The HONOR Magic V6 is the current best with an IP69 rating. The iPhone Ultra needs to be IP68 for peace of mind.

A folding screen with no crease

The folding display is the main piece of the puzzle. We’ve come a long way from the days of the FlexPai, and I feel Apple doesn’t really have much of an excuse to not knock this one out of the park. Folding screen tech has gotten way more durable from the early days, but there are still edge cases where things can go terribly wrong, as one of our own team members recounts. The iPhone Ultra needs a robust, ultra-thin glass to withstand everyday use.

Apple has reportedly signed off on a shipment of folding displays from Samsung Display (the display arm of Samsung Group), so we can expect Galaxy Z Fold-levels of screen quality. What I hope I don’t see is a crease in the iPhone Ultra’s display; something that Samsung simply hasn’t been able to fix.

Granted, it has gotten less prominent now, but what I expect from the iPhone Ultra is an OPPO Find N6-level creaseless display. OPPO uses a Samsung panel too, which means the magic lies in the hinge mechanism more than anything else.

Apple Pencil support

The late Steve Jobs, famously, mocked the use of a stylus on a phone, but I think adding Apple Pencil support to the iPhone Ultra would be quite courageous of Apple. I’ve always found the S Pen very handy for photo editing, taking notes, and signing documents — until Samsung dropped support for it on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and later.

If Apple does add support, we could be looking at a smaller and more portable version of the Apple Pencil; something that would easily fit in the new accessories and cases for the phone. This feels like a long shot, though, since the big question would be: how would you charge a smaller Apple Pencil? USB-C might be tricky, but maybe we could have some form of inductive charging like on iPads? Only time will tell.

Software that ties it all together

The iPhone Ultra will run iOS, but I’d like iPadOS-like features for the folding screen. This means system menus and native apps that show you additional menu bars on the left edge when you unfold the phone, the ability to run two apps side by side, and something like Stage Manager to manage open apps. I don’t expect iPad apps to be supported, but I don’t think we’ll need them either.

In a Platforms State of the Union developer video from WWDC 26, there’s an interesting section in the middle called ‘app adaptability.’ Apple is introducing support for resizing iOS apps when used on larger displays, like Macs and iPads. According to Apple, existing apps will have to be rebuilt with the latest SDK to take advantage of this, if it’s not already built using SwiftUI.

What this means for the iPhone Ultra is that iOS apps should automatically adjust their UI elements when going from the outer screen to the folding one. You can expect most native iOS apps, along with a few key third-party apps, to support this at launch.

Keeping it simple for now is key for Apple, as more functionality can always come later once users are accustomed to the new format. Samsung has some of the best software tricks for foldables, and Apple can, and should, steal as many as it can.

Solid battery life will be crucial

With a second, larger screen to handle, the iPhone Ultra needs a battery larger than the iPhone Pro Max’s to deliver true multi-day battery life. The Motorola Razr Fold leads the pack in the US with its 6,000mAh capacity, while the HONOR Magic V6 with its 6,600mAh capacity is still just as slim and light as the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.

Smaller battery capacities haven’t stopped Apple from delivering great battery life in its products in the past, though, thanks to the tight control it enjoys over software and hardware. If the iPhone Ultra delivers battery life close to the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max, I’ll take that as a win.

Not everything will be ‘Ultra,’ and that’s okay

Looking at the leaked dummy units of the supposed iPhone Ultra, be prepared for a few compromises. There seems to be just two rear cameras, and not three like on the iPhone Pro models. In all likelihood, Apple will drop the telephoto due to space constraints and go with a wide and ultrawide. You can bet Apple will try to put a silly marketing spin on it, like “three lenses” or “two cameras in one,” since it tends to treat certain zoom ranges as separate cameras.

2027 will be the 20th anniversary of the iPhone, and you can guarantee Apple has something big planned. I can’t imagine how it’s going to top the iPhone Ultra announcement this September, but I’m finally excited again for an Apple launch after many years.

With Apple finally entering the foldables space, I’m hoping it lights a fire under Samsung’s butt to kick it up a few notches. Prices will probably remain sky-high for now, till we get some relief from the RAM crisis, but maybe the iPhone Ultra finally breaks the spell of boring phone launches in 2026.