Insider Majin Boo posted images purporting to showcase two future Apple devices. And although the headlines have already spread across the network, it is worth stopping here and analyzing not only what was shown, but also how much you can believe it.

What is in the images

According to Boo, Apple is working on not one folding smartphone format, but two.

The first — is the one known for a long time: wide, almost square when folded. The second is elongated and narrow, similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold of the 2019–2026 model. The irony is that Samsung itself has already moved away from this format in favor of a broader one.

The second image is an anniversary iPhone for the 20th anniversary of the line with a horizontal block of cameras.

What we know about the folding iPhone for sure

The first folding iPhone is expected already this fall - probably called the iPhone Ultra or iPhone Fold, along with the iPhone 18 Pro.

Here, many leaks have accumulated, and they are consistent with each other:

  1. Screens: 5.5 inch outer, 7.8 inch inner
  2. Shape: Wider and lower than Galaxy Z Fold and Pixel Fold when folded. In unfolded - actually a tablet
  3. Thickness: about 4.5 mm
  4. Processor: A20 Pro on a 2-nanometer process
  5. Cameras: A horizontal unit of two 48 MP modules in the upper right corner, similar to the solution in the iPhone Air
  6. Unlock: Touch ID in the power button instead of Face ID - a forced solution through the form factor
  7. Curtains: technology with minimal folding

Interesting detail about MagSafe. There are no internal magnets on the device layouts, but all leaks of the covers show built-in MagSafe rings. Apple appears to have taken this feature out into the accessory to stay in the 4.5mm thickness.

There were rumors of delays. Insider Fixed Focus Digital reported that production scaling issues had been resolved and the lines were prepared in late July. At the same time, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested that pre-orders may not start until the fourth quarter of 2026, and delivery times will be long.

The anniversary iPhone is 2027

Here it is important not to confuse the time frame. The first iPhone was introduced in 2007, so the 20th anniversary falls on 2027, not this year.

Apple already had a precedent: for its 10th anniversary, the company released the iPhone X with Face ID, a cutout and a frameless design that defined the appearance of all subsequent models. The same thing is expected from the anniversary model - a redesign that will set the direction for years to come.

What is attributed to the anniversary model:

  1. Glass according to the same production process as in the iPhone Air
  2. Rounded faces, up to curved glass on either side
  3. Improved heat dissipation
  4. LTPO+ is a technology that first appeared in the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Separately, there is a rumor about the rejection of Dynamic Island in favor of a regular opening for the front camera.

And now why are there questions about these images

A similar leak of the anniversary iPhone was published by insider Yogesh Brar. And in those images they found inconsistencies that are difficult to explain. One set of renders has a dual camera located horizontally. On the other - a randomly placed key on the left side, while neither the volume swing nor the Action button is visible at all. Journalists at the Android Authority speculated that the images could have been generated via AI based on a brief description from sources in the supply chain. They themselves emphasize that they cannot independently confirm this. There is also another mismatch: if Dynamic Island is being cleaned, it is not clear where the Face ID sensors will go.

And pay attention to the difference in the number of cameras. There are three modules in your draft. There are two at the source of the Brara. These are different images from different insiders and they contradict each other. This, in fact, is the main problem of the entire category of such news. Previously, a leak meant a photo of a real detail or drawing. Now anyone can generate a plausible render from a textual description and it has become much more difficult to distinguish it from a real leak.

What's next

According to rumors, Apple plans to change the line almost every year until 2028.

2026 - the first folding iPhone. 2027 - anniversary models with rebranding, as was the case with the iPhone X. 2028 - the appearance of a clamshell-«mushli» like the Galaxy Z Flip is possible.

The latest is the forecast of the director of the research firm Stone Partners, Kim Ki-hyun, announced at the ETNews technology summit in Seoul. According to him, such a device will have a sub-screen camera, LTPO, COE and a glass middle frame. But not everything converges here either. Some of the leaks generally suggest that Apple's first flexible screen may not go to the iPhone, but to the iPad mini.

Which of these is worth remembering

This fall's folding iPhone is the most likely part of all history. The leaks are many, they are consistent, the supply chain confirms the preparation.

The elongated clamshell format is interesting, but so far it is one message from another insider that Apple is processing something «. Companies are testing dozens of prototypes, one of which goes into production. The anniversary iPhone is 2027, and any images should now be taken as guesswork. Before the release of a year and a half, during this time the design can change radically.

The main thing is that it was not previously in this genre: now every render should be asked whether the image generator drew it according to the rumor.


Sources: Majin Boo (X), Tom's Guide, Android Authority, Notebookcheck, MacObserver, Gizchina.