Podcast Episode
The book-style iPhone Fold, expected to debut alongside the iPhone 18 Pro lineup, will feature a 7.8-inch crease-free inner display and a 5.5-inch outer screen. Recent leaks from Chinese source Instant Digital reveal relocated volume buttons on the top edge, an all-black camera plateau with two horizontally arranged cameras, and a smaller Dynamic Island with a single punch-hole front camera. The device is said to house the largest battery ever in an iPhone, potentially reaching 6,000 mAh, and will be powered by Apple's 2-nanometre A20 chip.
Gurman cautioned that the clamshell design is far from guaranteed to reach the market and remains only under consideration. Its fate likely depends on the commercial success of the first foldable iPhone.
Analysts project the book-style foldable will carry a price tag between two thousand and twenty-five hundred dollars. Industry forecaster TrendForce expects Apple's entry to push foldable smartphone market penetration from 1.6 percent in 2025 to above 3 percent by 2027, signalling that the category may finally be approaching mainstream adoption.
Apple Explores Clamshell iPhone Flip as Second Foldable Design
February 3, 2026
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Apple is reportedly developing a clamshell-style foldable iPhone to follow its first book-style foldable device expected in September 2026. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports the company is exploring the flip-phone form factor internally, though it remains far from guaranteed to reach consumers.
Apple's Foldable Ambitions Expand Beyond the Book
Apple is not content with just one foldable iPhone. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the company is actively exploring a clamshell-style foldable device internally, even as its first book-style foldable iPhone moves toward a September 2026 launch.The book-style iPhone Fold, expected to debut alongside the iPhone 18 Pro lineup, will feature a 7.8-inch crease-free inner display and a 5.5-inch outer screen. Recent leaks from Chinese source Instant Digital reveal relocated volume buttons on the top edge, an all-black camera plateau with two horizontally arranged cameras, and a smaller Dynamic Island with a single punch-hole front camera. The device is said to house the largest battery ever in an iPhone, potentially reaching 6,000 mAh, and will be powered by Apple's 2-nanometre A20 chip.
The iPhone Flip Takes Shape
While the book-style model heads toward production, Apple's labs are simultaneously working on a square, clamshell-style foldable that would compete directly with Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip series and Motorola's Razr line. The company reportedly experimented with clamshell prototypes as early as 2024 but chose the book form factor for its debut foldable.Gurman cautioned that the clamshell design is far from guaranteed to reach the market and remains only under consideration. Its fate likely depends on the commercial success of the first foldable iPhone.
Strategic Market Entry
Apple is adopting a split launch strategy for 2026, with the iPhone 18 Pro models and foldable iPhone arriving in autumn, while the standard iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e follow in early 2027. The company has also shelved plans for a larger iPad-like foldable device, pushing that project to 2029.Analysts project the book-style foldable will carry a price tag between two thousand and twenty-five hundred dollars. Industry forecaster TrendForce expects Apple's entry to push foldable smartphone market penetration from 1.6 percent in 2025 to above 3 percent by 2027, signalling that the category may finally be approaching mainstream adoption.
Published February 3, 2026 at 7:26am
