Early testers praised the hinge and 7.8-inch screen of Apple's first foldable iPhone but faulted its camera on a device expected to cost more than $2,000.
Key Points:
- Several people who used the foldable, known internally as iPhone Ultra, praised its pocket fit, hinge durability and iPad-style app layouts.
- The phone carries a two-lens rear camera with no telephoto option, a gap testers flagged given the expected price.
- Apple is set to unveil the device alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max at a September event.
Gurman Details iPhone Ultra Tester Feedback
Mark Gurman described the reaction in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter for Bloomberg, where he said he had spoken with several people who used the handset. Those testers told him the phone slips into a pocket easily, and they singled out the feel and durability of the hinge that holds it together. They also praised new iPad-style app layouts written for the inner display, which reports put at roughly 7.8 inches.
Apple refers to the device internally as the iPhone Ultra, a name that sets it apart from the Pro line rather than folding it in. Gurman reported that the extra screen space pays off most in productivity, video and gaming, and that the unfolded panel works well as a camera viewfinder.
The camera itself is where the praise stopped.
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iPhone Ultra Camera And Touch ID Trade-Offs
The phone carries a dual-lens rear system built around a 48-megapixel main sensor and an ultra-wide lens, with no telephoto module in the package. That leaves buyers without the optical zoom range Apple offers on its Pro models, on a device that will cost considerably more than they do. Leaks also outline Touch ID in the side button rather than Face ID, a return to fingerprint unlocking.
Both decisions trace back to thickness, since the phone is pegged at about 4.5mm when unfolded, too slim to hold the components Face ID requires. Samsung released the Galaxy Z Fold 8 earlier this year with a comparable 5.5-inch outer screen and a 7.8-inch inner panel, giving shoppers a direct point of comparison before Apple arrives.
Apple Foldable Launch Timing And Price
Apple plans to introduce the foldable alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max at an event widely expected on or around Sept. 9. Analyst estimates place the starting price above $2,000, with higher storage tiers climbing toward $2,500, though the company has issued no guidance.
Supply chain reports point to limited stock at launch, which could push shipments well past the announcement date.
Touch ID has been absent from Apple's flagship iPhones since the company introduced Face ID with the iPhone X in 2017, a switch that reshaped how the handset unlocks. Bringing the fingerprint sensor back on the most expensive iPhone the company has ever sold would close a nine-year run for facial recognition at the top of the lineup.
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