Apple's foldable iPhone Ultra shares tech with iPhone 17 Air, analyst says 2026 release

Analyst says Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone Ultra will have a similar design to Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 6, while sharing tech with the iPhone 17 Air.

Anthony Garreffa

Gaming Editor

Published Mar 24, 2025 1:35 PM CDT

1 minute & 45 seconds read time

TL;DR: Apple plans to launch a foldable iPhone, the "iPhone Ultra," in 2026, resembling Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold. It will incorporate technologies from the iPhone 17 Air and is expected to cost around $2000. Although production may initially be limited, this move addresses Apple's absence in the foldable market.

Apple's upcoming foldable 'iPhone Ultra" will reportedly adopt a style similar to Samsung and its Galaxy Z Fold series of foldables, while sharing many of the same technologies expected inside of the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air.

In his new PowerOn newsletter on Bloomberg, insider Mark Gurman says that Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold smartphones are a "dream device" for things like work tasks and watching videos, and it's a category that "Apple can't ignore". Gurman says that he believes that Apple will launch a foldable iPhone in 2026 that will have a "similar design" to Samsung's foldable Galaxy Z Fold.

Inside, Apple's new purported iPhone Ultra will have many technologies shared with the company's also purported ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, with Gurman noting the foldable iPhone should cost around $2000. He says that we can expect to wait a while before Apple ships its foldable iPhone Ultra in any large numbers, but the company has been severely lacking a foldable device, and it seems 2026 is when we'll see it happen.

Read more: Apple's first foldable iPhone rumored as the iPhone Ultra, unfolds on the market in 2026

Gurman said in full: "I've been pretty vocal about my admiration of Samsung Electronics Co.'s Z Fold, a standard-sized smartphone that can open up into a small tablet. It's a dream device for handling work tasks and watching video, and it's a category that Apple can't ignore. I expect the company to launch its own foldable phone next year with a similar design to the Samsung device".

He continued: "I also expect the product to make use of many of the same technologies as the upcoming iPhone 17"Air."Though the product will probably be around $2,000, this has the markings of a big hit for Apple. It may take a while for volumes to ramp up (I wouldn't expect it to spur the"super cycle"of upgrades that Wall Street is always hoping for), but the price will give an outsized boost to sales. And it should be a win for consumers, who have been pressing Apple to finally jump into this category".