More Explosive News About the *iPhone Ultra*: Is the Foldable Screen This Time Really Going to Challenge Samsung?

Compared with today’s foldable flagship phones, the most compelling thing about the leaked iPhone Ultra is not whether Apple will make one, but which areas it is preparing to go head-to-head with Samsung. Based on current leaks, this rumored first foldable iPhone could debut in September this year, positioned as a high-end flagship. The strategy is clearly not to test the waters first, but to go straight after the premium market.

Let’s start with the parts users notice most easily: this time, both the battery and the body design appear very aggressive. According to Front Page Tech, the device will have a battery capacity of around 5800mAh, while Samsung’s current Galaxy Z Fold series is roughly around 5000mAh. In the foldable segment, that gap is no longer a minor tweak on a spec sheet, but the kind of upgrade that directly affects battery life expectations. Combined with a thickness of about 9.5mm when folded and around 4.5mm when unfolded, if mass production can still maintain those numbers, then its on-paper appeal will indeed be very strong.

By contrast, the design direction also feels very much in line with Apple’s usual approach: not chasing a flashy wow factor, but prioritizing solutions to several long-standing foldable issues. The leaks mention that it will use a wider screen aspect ratio and reduce the crease to an ultra-shallow level of about 0.15mm. If true, that would make the visual experience closer to a tablet-like unfolded display than many current large foldables. As for materials, the leaks mention a Samsung panel, a liquid metal hinge, and 3D-printed components. This combination sounds a lot like assembling the most mature parts of the supply chain, which is different from the approach of many Android manufacturers that aggressively optimize structural components themselves. Apple seems more like it is building a “stability-first” complete device solution.

Looking at another dimension, the camera and unlocking solutions may be even more worth watching. Current reports say its appearance will be somewhat similar to the Pixel, with both the main camera and ultra-wide camera at 48 megapixels. The inner display has also reportedly tested an under-display camera, though that has not yet been finalized. Even more interesting is the biometric authentication route: the leaks say, “Biometric authentication will switch to Touch ID, with Face ID removed.” This is clearly different from the direction Apple has taken with its main flagship phones in recent years, but on a foldable it makes sense, since the internal structure, front camera cutout, and space allocation are all more complicated. Touch ID may simply be the more practical compromise.

On the hardware side, current rumors also include 12GB of memory, the A20 Pro chip, and a C2 communications module. Judging by this combination alone, what it is targeting is not a typical first-generation product, but a true high-end flagship experience from the outset. Compared with other first-generation foldables, many manufacturers tend to leave obvious shortcomings in weight, battery life, or imaging on their first try. But if Apple really delivers what the leaks suggest, then at least from a marketing standpoint, it will likely lead with the message that this device has “no obvious weaknesses.”

For enthusiasts and tech users, my view is simple: if you’re currently waiting for a truly Apple-branded foldable flagship, then it makes sense to keep watching until around September; but if you care more about maturity and real-world experience, you still shouldn’t treat leaks as official announcements at this stage. After all, Apple has not confirmed this device yet, and key points such as the under-display camera, crease control, and final thickness could all change before mass production. Still, based on what we know so far, if Apple really enters the market, the benchmark in the premium foldable space will probably no longer be whether it has one, but whether it can outperform Samsung in battery life, crease control, and system integration.