Apple prepares to launch its first foldable iPhone model

Apple is planning to introduce a foldable iPhone, expected to be announced at a September 9, 2026 event. It would mark the most significant physical redesign of the iPhone since the original model debuted in 2007, moving from the familiar glass-slab form factor to a book-style device that opens to reveal a tablet-sized screen. The device, tentatively referred to as the iPhone Fold or iPhone Ultra, has reportedly cleared engineering validation and trial production stages. Mass production is set to ramp up, though initial supply could be constrained by the sheer complexity of manufacturing a foldable at Apple’s quality standards. What we know about the hardware The foldable iPhone is expected to feature two displays. The outer screen measures roughly 5.4 to 5.5 inches, comparable to a standard iPhone. Unfold it, and you get a 7.6 to 7.8-inch flexible OLED panel, putting it squarely in mini-tablet territory. The most impressive spec might be thickness. When unfolded, the device could measure as thin as 4.5 to 5 mm. For context, the current iPhone 16 Pro is about 8.25 mm thick. The hinge mechanism reportedly uses either liquid metal or titanium, designed to minimize the crease that has...