Web Desk: Apple is expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone at its annual fall product event, marking what could become the company’s biggest redesign of its flagship smartphone since the original iPhone arrived nearly two decades ago.
The highly anticipated device is expected to open out from a compact handset into a larger display, giving users a tablet-like screen while retaining a phone-sized form when folded.
The launch would also carry added significance for Apple’s leadership, as newly appointed Chief Executive John Ternus prepares to make his first major product-event appearance since taking over the company.
Apple’s product event, titled “Surprise and Shine,” is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Pacific time at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California.
Although rivals have offered foldable smartphones for several years, Apple has so far stayed out of the segment. The expected launch would therefore bring the world’s most valuable technology brands into a market already populated by competing manufacturers.
Reports suggest Apple could position the new device as a premium product, with its price potentially exceeding $2,000.
The exact name remains unclear. Industry speculation has centered on possibilities including iPhone Fold and iPhone Ultra.
The rumored device is expected to measure about 5.5 inches when closed and expand to roughly 7.8 inches when unfolded.
However, Apple’s pursuit of a thinner design could require a major change to its biometric technology. Reports indicate the foldable model may not include Face ID because of space constraints around the front-facing camera system.
Instead, Apple could bring back Touch ID for the device, potentially incorporating the fingerprint sensor into another part of the handset.
Apple has reportedly been exploring foldable-display technology for years. Prototype testing began as early as 2021, although the company was not then committed to putting a foldable iPhone on the market.
The expected launch would demonstrate how far Apple’s research and development efforts have progressed as smartphone makers increasingly experiment with flexible displays and new form factors.
Despite the attention surrounding the foldable model, Apple is also expected to introduce more conventional additions to its smartphone lineup.
The company is anticipated to announce the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, continuing its established flagship range.
That broader lineup could be particularly important because foldable phones still represent only a small portion of the overall smartphone market. Standard smartphones remain the main driver of consumer demand, and Apple’s recent financial results have highlighted continued strength in its core products.
Meanwhile, Apple is expected to refresh other products as part of its wider hardware rollout.
New versions of the Apple Watch and AirPods are reportedly in development, while the company could also introduce a touchscreen-equipped MacBook for the first time.
Some of those products may be unveiled at the September event, while others could arrive at subsequent launches in the coming months.
The event will also provide the first major public test of Ternus as Apple’s chief executive after he succeeded longtime CEO Tim Cook.
Ternus, who took charge on Sept. 1, has spent years overseeing Apple’s hardware engineering operations and played a prominent role in the development of several of the company’s major products.
In a message to employees at the start of his tenure, Ternus highlighted Apple’s product pipeline and expressed enthusiasm for projects already under development as well as innovations yet to be conceived.
Now, the foldable iPhone could become one of the first major products to define the opening chapter of his leadership.
The expected foldable iPhone represents more than another addition to Apple’s product lineup. It would signal the company’s entry into a category that competitors have been developing for years while testing whether consumers will pay a substantial premium for a different smartphone design.
If Apple succeeds in making the foldable format mainstream, the device could reshape expectations for the iPhone and establish a new direction for the company’s flagship hardware.
Read more: Apple Set to Unveil Three New iPhones on September 9
