Apple is finally set to release a Fold phone next year, and it appears it’s working on iOS 27’s foldable features to make the smartphone perform to its full capabilities. For years now, an Apple foldable phone has felt like a pipe dream for many fans who have been eagerly awaiting any signs of its release. While competitors have multiple generations of Fold phones out right now, Apple has silently stayed out of the conversation. Now, with signs of iOS 27 updates tailored for the iPhone Fold, it appears the company is on track to release a bendy smartphone.
The conversation around iOS 26 has largely revolved around the change in naming strategy and the new Liquid Glass design aesthetic, but with iOS 27, the focus will have to expand to multiple screens to ensure the iPhone Fold doesn’t suffer. iOS 27’s foldable features will likely include support for a seamless transition between the 5.5-inch outer display and the 7.8-inch inner display, ensuring a cohesive user experience. There are a few other expected updates but we remain short on the details.
iOS 27 Prepares to Support Foldable Features for the iPhone Fold Next Year
Now that the dust is beginning to settle on the iOS 26 release, Apple is expected to begin development of iOS 27, which should be tailored to suit the iPhone Fold that is expected to be released in late 2026. The exact nature of the planned features is unknown, but Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman wrote that “as part of the development of iOS 27 — which formally kicks off soon — Apple will prioritize software features tailored specifically to this new form factor.”
Multitasking enhancements will have to be made to help take advantage of the larger display and the 4:3 aspect ratio expected on the iPad-like device. The iOS 27 update will likely help Apple with supporting the rumored Touch ID integration on the Fold phone’s power button, replacing Face ID. This will be a big change for some and an inconsequential one for many, but the integration is on its way nonetheless.
The rumors point to an A19 chip at the center of it all, but this could change by the time the device is ready for release. For the rumored price of $2,000, Apple has to be prepared to impress its users.
Other Foldable iPhone Rumors and Speculations
Early foldable iPhone speculations suggest the device will feature a 5.5-inch outer screen and a 7.7-inch inner screen, and this opens up considerably greater amounts of screen real estate for the software to support. The large internal screen will make it the biggest on an iPhone so far, but it will still not expand as far out as other foldables like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold or the Oppo Find N5.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also believes that the iPhone Fold will be somewhere between 9 to 9.5mm thick when folded, and 4 to 4.5mm when unfolded. It’s not going to be as sleek as the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, but it does sound like we can expect a thin phone.
Apple is reportedly putting in a lot of work to ensure the iPhone Fold will be as creaseless as possible, ensuring one of the biggest limitations of fold phones is addressed right off the bat. This may be hard to do for a first-generation release, but considering the time that has been invested in finally entering the fold phone market, Apple may be able to pull it off. The rumors also indicate that the displays will be borrowed from Samsung rather than showcase internally designed hardware capabilities.
Is the Apple Foldable Phone Really Such a Big Deal?
Apple, as a business, is highly successful and doesn’t necessarily “need” to step in the fold phone category to continue staying relevant. The company has one of the most loyal user bases any tech company has ever seen, and these users will continue to buy iPhones with regularity, even if the changes aren’t groundbreaking each time.
Despite this popularity, however, there has been some unrest in the fanbase, with many users asking if the company has peaked with its innovation cycle and will no longer be able to offer more. The Apple Intelligence AI has not been particularly noteworthy, and attempts to bring an advanced Siri have failed thus far. Apple tried something innovative with the Apple Vision Pro, but the device was decidedly underwhelming and didn’t see as much of a demand as the company had hoped.
Apple has advanced its progress in categories like CarPlay and promises to do more with an upcoming smart home hub gadget, but the verdict on its performance will have to be made after its release. Apple’s AirPods have presented some unique hearing aid capabilities, and there are rumors that future versions will be capable of more, but otherwise, the company has largely fallen behind on its identity as an industry leader in quality, if not in quality of sales.
The Apple foldable iPhone with iOS 27 support for its foldable features might finally bring back some of the spark that used to once accompany an Apple product launch, even if the smartphone is only another addition to an already well-established category. We have more than a year of waiting ahead of us, so we will likely learn more about how things are progressing for the iPhone Fold, but this is all the information we have for now.
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