Apple iPhone Fold: A $2,000 Phone with No Face ID, No Telephoto, and a Screen That Might Not Have a Crease
By OFOKI TECH | August 26, 2026
Apple has not confirmed it is building a foldable iPhone. The company has not announced a release date, a price, or even the product’s existence. Yet the volume of leaks, analyst reports, and supply chain confirmations surrounding the device has reached a point where its announcement in September 2026 is treated as fact within the industry. The device is expected to cost between $2,000 and $2,500, making it the most expensive iPhone ever released.
The Design: Wide, Short, and Very Thin
Multiple sources, including Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, have converged on a consistent set of dimensions. The iPhone Fold is expected to be a book-style device with a 5.5-inch cover screen and a 7.8-inch inner display. When unfolded, it will measure between 4.5 and 4.8mm thick, thinner than the iPhone Air’s 5.6mm. When folded, it will be 9 to 9.5mm thick.
The aspect ratio is described as squat and wide, similar to the original Google Pixel Fold or the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide, rather than the tall, narrow format of the Galaxy Z Fold 7. CNET’s analysis of leaked CAD renders describes the folded form as « shorter and chunkier » than current iPhones.
No Face ID, No Telephoto
The thin profile forces compromises. MacRumors reported that there is no room for the TrueDepth camera system that powers Face ID. The device will instead use Touch ID integrated into the side button, similar to the iPad Air. This is not a cost-cutting measure. It is a physical constraint.
The camera system is also reduced. Bloomberg reported that the iPhone Fold will have two rear cameras instead of three: a Wide and an Ultra Wide. There will be no Telephoto lens. Kuo attributed this to space constraints, noting that the thin chassis cannot accommodate the larger sensor and lens assembly required for optical zoom.
The Hinge: Titanium, Stainless Steel, and Liquid Metal
Apple is reportedly using a titanium and stainless steel alloy for the hinge, with a liquid metal component supplied by Liquidmetal Technologies, a company Apple has had an exclusive contract with since 2010. The liquid metal has previously been used only for the SIM ejector tool. A report from Chinese publication UDN claimed Apple has achieved a « crease-free » design, though this remains unverified.
The Battery: Dual Cells, 5,500mAh
The iPhone Fold is expected to use a dual-cell battery design, with one cell on each side of the fold. Weibo leaker Fixed Focus Digital claimed a total capacity of 5,500mAh, which would be the largest battery ever in an iPhone. Kuo estimated the unfolded thickness at 4.5mm](https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/iphone-fold/), making the battery engineering particularly challenging.
The Chip: A20 Pro or A20
The processor is expected to be the A20 Pro, manufactured on TSMC’s 2nm process. This is the same chip expected to power the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. The A20 Pro would give the Fold performance parity with Apple’s top-tier non-folding phones, an important distinction given the device’s premium price.
The Price and Positioning
Analysts estimate the iPhone Fold will cost between $2,000 and $2,500. This positions it above the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra ($2,099) and the Huawei Mate XT 2 tri-fold. Gurman reported that Apple expects to sell 3 to 5 million units in the first year, a fraction of the 80 million iPhone 18 units expected but a meaningful entry into the foldable market.
What Is Not Known
Apple has not confirmed the product. The September 2026 launch date, while widely reported, could slip. The « crease-free » claim from UDN has not been corroborated by other sources. The exact camera specifications, battery capacity, and pricing remain speculative.
Verdict
If the leaks are accurate, the iPhone Fold is a device defined by compromises. No Face ID. No telephoto. A price that exceeds most laptops. These are not features Apple removes lightly. They are features Apple removes because physics demands it.
The question is whether buyers will accept these tradeoffs for the Apple ecosystem on a foldable screen. Samsung has proven that foldables sell at $1,900. Apple is betting they will sell at $2,300. The absence of Face ID is particularly jarring for a company that has pushed biometric authentication as a core feature since 2017. Touch ID on the side button works, but it is a step backward in user experience.
The wider, shorter form factor is the right choice. The Google Pixel Fold and Samsung Z Fold 8 Wide have shown that a 4:3 inner screen is more useful for content and productivity than the tall, narrow panels on earlier Folds. If Apple can deliver a crease that is genuinely less visible than Samsung’s, that alone could justify the premium.
But at $2,000 or more, the iPhone Fold enters a category where buyers expect perfection. A missing telephoto, a side-button fingerprint sensor, and a first-generation hinge design do not meet that standard. Apple is asking buyers to pay a luxury price for a product that is, by necessity, less capable than the iPhone 18 Pro Max it will sit next to on store shelves.
The iPhone Fold will sell. Apple’s ecosystem lock-in guarantees that. Whether it is a good product or merely an expensive one will depend on how well the hinge holds up after two years, and whether the crease is truly as invisible as rumors suggest.
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