Apple is expected to join the foldable phone fray next year, and despite the absurdly late entry, the hype is unreal. So far, all the leaks and pundit predictions have painted the picture of a refined phone that will solve the infamous display crease problem, and while at it, it could also turn out to be one of the thinnest devices of its kind out there.
But not every aspect of the device is going to be a trendsetter. As per a fresh report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the upcoming iPhone Fold won’t exactly set any new benchmarks. On the contrary, it will make a few sacrifices or stick with an older tech stack, even by Apple’s standards.
A tad too modest with cameras?
For starters, the phone will reportedly come equipped with a total of four cameras, “one on the front, one on the inside and two on the back.” That means it would be at parity with the entry-point iPhone 16 and its soon-to-be-launched successor, both of which also embrace a dual-lens camera approach at the back.
For comparison, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 comes equipped with three cameras, one of which relies on a massive 200-megapixel camera sensor. China’s Honor has even crammed a 64-megapixel periscope-style folded lens zoom camera system on its Magic V5 foldable phone. Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold also ships with a triple-lens rear camera system.
Interestingly, just like the upcoming iPhone 17 Air, the foldable iPhone will reportedly ditch the physical SIM slot. Instead, it will stick with an eSIM-only approach. That could prove to be a tad controversial, as a healthy bunch of foldable phones out there, including the Pixel 10 Pro, serve dual-SIM (physical nano SIM + eSIM) convenience.
Touch ID returns, or it never went away?
Another interesting choice that Apple has reportedly locked for its foldable iPhone is the shift to Touch ID sensor, instead of the Face ID facial recognition system that is now a mainstay on all iPhones. To recall, the iPhone SE was the last Apple smartphone to feature the Touch ID button.
But in the context of foldable phones, the decision to opt for a side-mounted fingerprint sensor actually makes practical sense. The pill-shaped Face ID module takes up precious screen real estate, but more importantly, Apple would have to implement it twice – once each for the cover screen and the inner foldable panel.
A physical fingerprint sensor integrated within the power button and positioned on the right edge offers direct access to the biometric authentication hardware, irrespective of whether you are viewing content on the outer screen or getting work done on the square-ish inner flexible screen.
The move won’t be unprecedented even for Apple. The company continues to offer a physical Touch ID button fitted inside the power button on the entry-level iPad, the iPad mini, and the iPad Air. It’s a mainstay on MacBooks and even the Magic Keyboards for the iMac, but in a slightly different shape.
Apple is also said to be eyeing a second-gen in-house cellular modem for the foldable iPhone, a more performant successor to the C1 modem fitted inside the iPhone 16e. Finally, color options are going to be rather modest for this one, it seems, with the plans of offering the highly anticipated phone only in black and white shades.
It would be interesting to see what software-side goodies Apple will serve on its first foldable phone, if any. I am siding with hope, and so will any enthusiast willing to pay nearly two thousand dollars for Apple’s debut folding smartphone.
