Apple is planning a third-generation foldable iPhone for 2028 with larger inner and outer screens, extending a roadmap that begins later this year.
Key Points:
- Apple's third foldable iPhone is expected as early as 2028, with bigger displays on both the inside and the cover.
- The first model, widely called iPhone Ultra, is tipped for a 7.8-inch inner screen and a 5.5-inch outer screen.
- Counterpoint Research projects Apple will take 25% of global foldable shipments in its debut year.
iPhone Ultra 3 Display Plans
Mark Gurman set out the timeline in his weekly newsletter on Sunday, describing a foldable plan that already stretches two generations past the model due next month.
A second-generation version arrives in 2027 with no major design change, he said, and the third follows as early as 2028.
That later model gets slightly bigger panels on both the inside and the outside.
Gurman did not attach numbers to the change. Reports peg the first foldable at 7.8 inches inside and 5.5 inches on the cover, so any increase would build from those figures.
The account is the first to describe a third-generation device, pushing the publicly known foldable roadmap a full year further than it stood before.
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Samsung Screen Sizes Set Benchmark
Against its rivals, the first iPhone Ultra looks small. Samsung fitted its Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra with an 8-inch inner panel and a 6.5-inch cover screen, both wider than the dimensions attributed to Apple. That extra room came with a trade-off, since the outer screen turned tall and narrow while the unfolded display sat closer to a square. Growing the iPhone panels without breaking the roughly 4:3 shape of the inner display is the harder problem for Apple engineers.
Analysts still expect a strong debut. Counterpoint Research projects Apple will take 25% of global foldable shipments this year, ahead of Huawei at 24% and second only to Samsung at 32%.
Liz Lee, an associate director at the firm, called 2026 a turning point for the category, saying Apple's arrival raises the benchmark for premium foldables.
She added that Samsung still holds a clear lead in product maturity, channel reach and overall foldable user experience. Counterpoint tied its 21% growth forecast to the premium book-type segment, where multitasking and screen area drive buying decisions.
Foldable iPhone Rumor Timeline
Leaks about the first foldable have accumulated for most of the year. A Weibo leaker known as Digital Chat Station indicated in June that the second-generation project had been approved and would likely reuse the first model's display.
Price estimates have swung between roughly $1,999 and $2,500 as memory and component costs climbed. Apple is widely expected to unveil the phone alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models next month, with Touch ID replacing Face ID on the thinner chassis. The company has confirmed none of it and has never publicly acknowledged a foldable iPhone.
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