Foldable phones have been the arena where companies like Samsung and Huawei have been showcasing their capabilities for years, while Apple enthusiasts have watched from the sidelines, waiting for the company to enter the fray in its own way. That long wait may be nearing its end! According to exciting discoveries within the latest developer beta of iOS 27, Apple's first foldable iPhone may be just around the corner, and we might even see it officially unveiled this fall.
Software evidence doesn't lie: iOS 27 reveals Apple's upcoming plans
The story began when renowned software researcher @M1Astra delved deep into the iOS 27 developer files, uncovering a set of code snippets and terms that left no room for doubt. These hidden files contained explicit references to terms such as “foldState”, “mechanicalAngleDegrees”, “angleDegrees”, and “MGGetLogicalDeviceDisplayCount”.
These codes mean one thing: Apple's upcoming operating system is fully capable of understanding whether a phone is folded or unfolded, accurately determining the opening angle, and knowing how many screens the device is using at any given moment. Since these codes appeared in iOS 27, which was just unveiled at WWDC, the most logical conclusion is that Apple's first foldable device will run on this system.
The competition is fierce, and the "fish" obstacle is lurking.
While Samsung and Huawei have over five years of experience manufacturing this category of phones, Apple's late entry has placed immense pressure and very high user expectations on the device. One of the biggest challenges facing foldable phones is their thickness; having a large second screen is great, but it loses its appeal entirely if the phone becomes a heavy brick that's difficult to fit in a tight jeans pocket (especially in women's clothing that seems designed on the assumption that women don't carry anything in their pockets!).
Therefore, Apple must solve this difficult equation: deliver a foldable device that retains the usual iPhone elegance and thinness without sacrificing durability.
The iPhone Air might be the magic key to eliminating thickness.
Fortunately, Apple wasn't wasting any time; last year the company unveiled the incredibly thin iPhone Air, measuring just 5.6 mm (about the thickness of four coins stacked on top of each other). If Apple adopts this revolutionary design for its foldable phone, combining two iPhone Air screens would result in a device only 11.2 mm thick when closed!
This figure simply means that Apple will surpass all previous Samsung foldable phones in terms of thinness, with the exception of the Korean company's latest dual-screen model, the Galaxy Z Fold7. It is a true demonstration of the engineering prowess that Apple has always been known for.
Will we see a foldable iPhone this fall?
Reports and leaks reviewed by Amanda Silberling of TechCrunch suggest that the launch may be much closer than we imagine. The presence of this code in the current beta version means that Apple is preparing developers and giving them the necessary tools to update their apps on the App Store to be compatible with the multi-screen and foldable environment before the official unveiling expected this September.
Now, the ball is in Apple's court to deliver its long-awaited masterpiece and prove that the delay was intended to provide a perfect product free from the flaws that plagued competing phones in their early days.
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