Highlights
- Leaked 3D‑printed mockups suggest Apple’s iPhone Fold may resemble a compact iPad mini rather than a traditional iPhone.
- Apple’s rumoured design could prioritise a tablet‑like experience in a pocketable format.
- If the wider design is real, iOS 27 may need major changes to adopt iPadOS‑style.
Fresh leaks surrounding Apple’s long-rumoured iPhone Fold are raising questions about how the device will feel in daily use. To what it’s worth, we are a bit confused if it will be more like an iPhone or closer to an iPad.
3D-Printed Mockups of Possible iPhone Fold Design Spark New Debate
Stephen Hackett of 512 Pixels recently created a 3D-printed mockup of the rumoured iPhone Fold design. Jason Snell discussed these mockups on Six Colors in an article titled, “Will the iPhone Fold be a phone you open, or an iPad you close?”
The article states: “If these mock-ups are real, this folding iPhone is not going to be what you may have pictured in your head: a modern iPhone, roughly the shape of an iPhone Pro, that folds open to reveal a larger screen inside. […] after looking at these 3D-printed mock-ups and seeing a squat, paper-notepad-shaped iPhone that unfolds into a small iPad, it seems pretty clear to me: If this is the shape of the iPhone Fold to come, Apple is focusing on it being an iPad you can fold up and stick in your pocket, not as an iPhone that unfolds into two iPhones placed side by side.”
Previous reports suggested the iPhone Fold may look very different from rival foldables such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 and the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Both of those devices resemble conventional smartphones when folded and remain taller than they are wide even when unfolded.
In contrast, current rumours indicate that Apple’s foldable iPhone could feature a noticeably short and wide design when folded, transforming into something closer to an iPad mini once opened.
iOS Could Take a New Direction
Apple’s final design may ultimately differ from what these mockups suggest. Still, if the iPhone Fold does arrive with such a distinctive shape, it could push the iPhone and iOS in a bold new direction.
There is hope that iOS 27 could adopt the advanced windowing system introduced in iPadOS 26 or something similar to better take advantage of the larger unfolded display.
Adapting iOS to a Wider Display
Another open question is how Apple would adapt iOS for a folded screen with a nontraditional rectangular shape. A wider interface could require significant changes across the operating system, potentially demanding a major design effort from Apple. That challenge alone makes some observers sceptical that the leaked mockups accurately represent the final iPhone Fold design.
As leaks continue to surface, it remains to be seen whether Apple is building an iPhone that unfolds or an iPad that folds.
FAQs
Q1. How might the iPhone Fold differ from rival foldables?
Answer. Unlike Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold7 or Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which resemble conventional smartphones when folded, leaks suggest Apple’s iPhone Fold could be shorter and wider, unfolding into something closer to an iPad mini.
Q2. What do the 3D‑printed mockups reveal about the design?
Answer. The mockups show a squat, paper‑notepad‑shaped device that unfolds into a small iPad. This suggests Apple may be positioning the iPhone Fold more as a pocketable iPad than a phone that simply doubles in size.
Q3. How could iOS adapt to the iPhone Fold’s wider display?
Answer. If the design is real, iOS 27 may need significant changes potentially adopting iPadOS‑style windowing to better utilise the larger unfolded screen and nontraditional rectangular shape.