TLDR
Early testers praised the pocketable design, hinge durability and iPad-style multitasking on the roughly 7.8-inch inner display of Apple's foldable iPhone Ultra. The missing telephoto lens drew sharp criticism. A September 2026 launch is the target, though manufacturing snags could push shipments into October.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The few people who have handled Apple's first folding iPhone like almost everything about it except the camera. That is the verdict relayed by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, whose sources praise the book-style device's pocketability, the feel and durability of its hinge, and iPad-like app layouts on the roughly 7.7-inch inner display.[1]
The phone, expected to be called iPhone Ultra, is slated to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro line in September, though supply reporting points to a possible slip into October and an "extremely limited" first batch. Leaks put the price above US$2,000.[2] All of it remains unconfirmed by Apple, and the camera criticism is unexplained: testers have not said whether the complaint is hardware or tuning.
What it means here
For Australian buyers the reference point is Samsung, whose Galaxy Z Fold7 sells locally for about A$2,899. If the US price translates the way iPhones usually do, the first folding iPhone would land well north of A$3,000, the most expensive iPhone ever sold in Australia.[3] Apple's September event, expected in the second week of the month, will settle the name, the price and the date.
SOURCES & CITATIONS
Alex Mercer writes about technology, energy and infrastructure. He likes the physical end of the story: the plants, the grids and the machines that everything else depends on.
