Apple’s long-rumored foldable iPhone is beginning to look very real, and if the latest leak is anything to go by, it could feature a dramatic redesign of the physical buttons, camera module, and internal structure.
On a regular iPhone, you’ll find the volume controls on the left frame and the power button (with Touch ID) on the right frame. However, on the iPhone Fold, you might see the volume controls on the top right, similar to the button placement on the iPad mini.
Why Apple may be moving all the buttons to one side
So, someone who has already used an iPad might not encounter any problems, but users migrating from a regular iPhone will have to get accustomed to the different button placement. The power button could also be on the right side (along with the Camera Control button).
Moreover, it sounds like the iPhone Fold will feature an Android-style button placement. In addition to sharing the differently-placed buttons, the Chinese tipster Digital Station (via Weibo) also provides a possible reason: freeing up space for the screen (and hinge) structure and the battery.
If there are no buttons on the left frame, Apple doesn’t need to run wires across the width of the screen to connect them to the motherboard on the right.
A subtle visual callback to the iPhone X
The space could be dedicated to “an extreme, yet reasonable and elegant internal stacking structure” and the largest battery on an iPhone, ever.
The foldable screen should feature a single punch-hole camera. On the back, the iPhone Fold should get a two-camera system (arranged horizontally) with a blacked-out base, creating a contrast with the rumored white body.
To me, the blacked-out camera module sounds like a distant callback to the iPhone X. Moreover, it sounds like Apple has locked in the iPhone Fold’s design and might begin mass production in a few months, ahead of the expected launch in September 2026.