Apple’s WWDC 2026 event was packed with major software announcements, including its new Siri AI experience, expanded child safety tools, and the latest operating system updates for its phones, Macs, and iPads. It was only a matter of time before someone dug out something interesting from the new software, and developer Sam Henri Gold might have just found the biggest clue yet that Apple is planning to launch a foldable iPhone soon.
iOS 27 is quietly preparing apps for a foldable future
Sam Henri Gold recently took to X to post that he found several references inside the iOS 27 framework that appear closely tied to foldable hardware. These include “foldState,” “angleDegrees,” and a key related to the number of built-in displays.
Interestingly, the Platforms State of the Union presented at WWDC26 also mentioned new changes coming to SwiftUI, with Apple pushing developers to make apps work better across different screen sizes and aspect ratios. That connects well with Gold’s findings. A foldable iPhone would need apps to adjust smoothly when moving from a smaller outer display to a larger inner screen. It would also need iOS to understand whether the phone is closed, open, or resting at an angle.
The rumored iPhone Ultra may borrow its best idea from the iPad
The rumored foldable iPhone, often referred to as the iPhone Ultra, is expected to behave more like a small iPad when opened. It is rumored to feature a 7.76- to 7.8-inch OLED inner display with a 4:3 aspect ratio, along with a 5.3- to 5.5-inch outer OLED screen.
A 4:3 inner display closely matches the aspect ratio Apple has used on the iPad for years. That shape is well suited for reading, web browsing, multitasking, and split-screen app layouts. If Apple adopts the same approach for the iPhone Ultra, the unfolded device could deliver an experience that feels much closer to using a compact iPad than a traditional foldable smartphone like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.
Speaking of Samsung, the company seems to be heading in the same direction. Its rumored Galaxy Z Fold Wide is expected to use a broader, more tablet-like design, making it a more direct rival to Apple’s expected iPhone Ultra than the current Galaxy Z Fold 7. It may take some getting used to, but this wider form factor is closer to what foldables were meant to be from the start: a tablet that folds down into a smartphone you can easily carry in your pocket.