Apple's foldable iPhone rumored with eSIM-only option, space-saving for the foldable handset

There is a 'high probability' that the foldable iPhone doesn't have a physical SIM, will use an eSIM as Apple is saving as much space as possible.

Apple's foldable iPhone rumored with eSIM-only option, space-saving for the foldable handset
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Gaming Editor
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TL;DR: Apple's foldable iPhone, launching in H2 2026, will feature a crease-less 7.74-inch display, eSIM-only design, Touch ID, A20 Pro chip, dual 48MP cameras, and a 5,400-5,800mAh battery. Priced around $2,399, it aims to optimize space by removing the SIM tray and targets 7-9 million first-year shipments.

Apple will (finally) release its foldable iPhone next year, and in order to save as much space inside of the foldable smartphone, the company is reportedly removing as many non-essential items as it can... and this includes a dedicated SIM card tray.

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Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone will reportedly be an eSIM-only handset, with Chinese tipster Instant Digital echoing previous comments by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and insider Ming-Chi Kuo, predicting an eSIM-only design for Apple's foldable iPhone.

Instant Digital has said that Apple's new foldable iPhone would be an eSIM-only affair, with Kuo previously stating that the ultra-thin design of the foldable iPhone doesn't leave much room for things like a dedicated SIM tray. The leaker said: "there is a high probability that the iPhone folding screen does not have a SIM card slot version and only supports eSIM. It's hard to say a word. I hope mainland China can improve the user experience as soon as possible!"

Apple foldable iPhone features + design elements so far:

  • A crease-less design for the foldable screen.
  • A dedicated vapor chamber.
  • A book-style form factor, with the iPhone Fold's primary panel measuring 7.74 inches, and the cover display measuring 5.49 inches.
  • A 2,713 x 1,920 resolution, with a 4:3 aspect ratio.
  • Touch ID instead of Face ID.
  • A20 Pro SoC, a 12GB RAM, in-house C2 5G modem.
  • A 48MP resolution for the rear dual-camera setup.
  • An in-display camera with a resolution of up to 24MP.
  • A battery with a capacity of 5,400-5,800mAh.
  • An H2 2026 launch.
  • Projected price of around $2,399
  • Expected shipments in the first year to vary between 7 million and 9 million units.