Now meet the iPhone Fold

The first folding iPhone might arrive in 2026.

Author

Leander Kahney
July 23, 2024

In partnership with

Apple has a tendency to iteratively improve the design of its products over many, many years.

Once the company lands on a winning design — like the flat-screen iMac — the product’s form factor will largely stay the same, while components and features improve over time.

The flat-screen iMac, for example, debuted 12 years ago in 2002 as the iMac G4. It evolved into today’s M3 iMacs (which just dropped to record-low prices, BTW).

Compare that to Samsung, a company famous for throwing radical new designs on the market and seeing which ones stick.

Apple must see something in foldable phones like the ones Samsung makes, because a couple of new reports suggest Cupertino is moving ahead with a folding iPhone design.

The “iPhone Fold” supposedly will be tall, thin and act as its own protective case, with the device closing with its large screen folded inside. And it’s likely coming in 2026.

Also in today’s newsletter:

  • XMems developed the first solid-state microspeakers, which debuted in a pair of well-received earbuds. Now they’re coming to headphones.

  • Google Play doesn’t have a great reputation for quality apps. The company hopes to change that with a new policy that rules out “apps that are designed to do nothing or have no function.”

  • If your AirPods run out of juice and you don’t have access to power, worry not: You can use your iPhone 15 to charge them back up. Here's how.

  • I’d forgotten about Siri’s fun "Bohemian Rhapsody” Easter egg: See the tweet below for a reminder.

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

A message from PromoTix

Startup PromoTix ($48M in traction) is saving the events industry

PromoTix is solving the event industry’s challenges around high ticket fees and low attendance. Ticketmaster and competitors charge up to 40% of the ticket price to book, deterring guests who can’t afford the added cost. Combined with a crowded marketing space, events struggle.

PromoTix is raising funds to expand. Already profitable, with 656k users and $48M in sales in its first 30 months, PromoTix has low-fee and no-fee SaaS pricing, as well as patented marketing tools that drive attendance.

Folding iPhone could shake up Apple's lineup in 2026

Is Apple finally joining the foldable phone trend? Get the details on the rumored folding iPhone that could hit the market in two years.

iOS 18: All the Safari improvements

iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia bring a plethora of improvements to Safari for a better browsing experience.

First over-ear headphones with xMEMS solid-state microspeakers coming soon

After the technology's well-received debut in earbuds, it could bring improved audio and decreased weight to full-size cans.

A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team

Get Microsoft Office Home & Business 2019 for Mac, just $24.97

Get lifetime access to Microsoft Office Home and Business 2019 for Mac, with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote and Teams Classic.

Slack gets easier to use with first Home Screen widgets

Enhance your Slack experience with the new widgets for iPhone and iPad. Easily jump to unread messages, update your status and more.

New Google policy requires Android apps to not be rubbish

Google's updated Minimum Functionality policy aims to clear the many cruddy Android apps out of Google Play.

A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team

Back to school already? M3 iMacs hit record low prices.

We're seeing a return to the lowest-ever prices on the 2023 edition of the all-in-one desktop machine with M3 chip. It's a hit with students.

Why CarPlay is not coming to Rivian EVs

Rivian CEO explains why the company won't offer Apple CarPlay in its electric vehicles. He might have glossed over the real reason.

‘Cowboy Cartel’: FBI stalks money-laundering killers in American horse racing [Apple TV+ trailer]

The new "Cowboy Cartel" trailer tells a gripping story of the FBI's pursuit of Mexican cartel money-launderers in American horse racing.

Charming retro wireless speaker packs a punch and connects to anything [Review] ★★★★☆

Our reviewer finds the new Edifier D32 Tabletop Speaker combines retro-cool design with top-notch modern sound, despite a connectivity snafu.

One-time payment of $350 secures 10TB of cloud storage for life

Get a massive amount of storage for life from Internxt with this discount 10TB cloud storage plan. Make a single payment of $349.99!

How to use iPhone 15 to charge AirPods, Apple Watch or another iPhone

In a pinch, your iPhone 15 can charge your Apple Watch or AirPods, and even juice up another iPhone. Here's how.

Today in Apple history: Martin Scorsese ad makes Siri look like a superstar

On July 23, 2012, a new Apple ad showed the legendary filmmaker giving Siri a go. It was fun, but not entirely realistic.

Tweets of the day

Wallpaper of the day

One more thing ...

❝

Now when we see new things or opportunities, we can seize them. In fact, we have already seized a few, like desktop movies, wireless networking and iTools. A creative period like this lasts only maybe a decade, but it can be a golden decade if we manage it properly.

— Steve Jobs, 2000.

Today’s poll

Do you want a folding iPhone?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Results from yesterday’s poll: Does a slim, high-end iPhone sound appealing?

Best reader comments

Subscribe to The Weekender — Get the week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.

Reply

or to participate.