iPhone 18 Launching Today: Will Apple Finally Unveil a Foldable iPhone?
Synopsis
Apple's fall event kicks off today, with speculation building over a possible foldable iPhone launch and a first look at camera-equipped AirPods.
Key Highlights
- Apple’s fall launch event is today, where we will hear about the iPhone 18 lineup.
- Reports claim that Apple may finally show its first foldable phone.
- As per sources the foldable phone might start just above the $2,000 mark and top out near $3,000 for larger storage.
- Apple is also expected to give a sneak peek of camera-equipped AirPods.
- This is the first major Apple event since CEO Tim Cook passed the reins to John Ternus.
Today is Apple’s fall launch event. Apple launches its new iPhone every year in September. Amid years of speculation, rumours are building that it may finally be the year that we see Apple’s first foldable iPhone, widely rumoured to be called iPhone Ultra.
There may be a gap between announcement and publication itself. Today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo went one step further, suggesting the foldable could be announced together with the iPhone 18 family today but not available for purchase until later in the year, much like how the iPhone X was introduced in 2017.
Today is an especially meaningful event since it marks the first time since Tim Cook formally passed the reins of Apple over to John Ternus as CEO.
Price and Design Expectations
Reports of a folding iPhone have emerged predicting the model to start with at least a $2,000 price point (some sources expect Apple has even discussed $2,200+ pricing), while bigger storage options might even calculate towards approaching $3,000. The device has been known as the iPhone Fold for some time, but a number of recent reports have begun calling it instead “iPhone Ultra,” implying an entirely new tier above existing Pro phone lines.
It might include a large 7.8-inch internal display that will be close to tablet-sized, though it would not necessarily support the full iPad-style multitasking we expect to see from an iPad. What it should offer instead are more side-by-side layouts for apps that you can drag and drop to.
The design leaks show that Apple’s foldable will come in book-style format that’s more square and compact, which is probably more like the Pixel Fold than even taller, narrower foldables. And if the screen is relatively crease-free, that will be a major feat for the foldable phones industry as well.
Foldable iPhone Uncertainty Remains
There are no announcements from Apple on a foldable iPhone or any commercial timeline related to the same. While some analysts think it could still launch in 2026, a 2027 release is more likely. Given how the iPhone Air debuted a few years after the original iPhone 17 lineup, it’s reasonable to expect that some kind of foldable device would land on or around the same date as today’s heads-up for the anticipated “iPhone 18” series.
If Apple takes the plunge and enters foldables this year, global sales will likely soar higher than ever. Regardless, surveys discovered a large number of buyers usually stay away from foldable telephones, so Apple’s participation could be the toughest hurdle for the class.
Camera-Equipped AirPods May Also Debut
In a separate saying, Apple may have accidentally revealed another rumoured item: AirPods with built-in cameras. The feature seemed to be revealed in a video within a beta of the macOS Tahoe release candidate, an early test version of Apple’s software dispatched to developers before public release.
The device may include a Siri voice-over with an announcement of Visual Intelligence that lets users save things they see so they can reference them later. The camera might not capture photos or video content, but transfers visual information from Siri.
Rumours earlier this year suggested Apple was working on a pair of camera-enabled AirPods for a future release, but offering the functionality in test software would indicate that Apple could show the technology sometime at today’s event even if no actual product is ready to ship yet.
These AirPods, unlike camera devices, aren't intended to take pictures or videos for you to keep. It might be a bit surprising given lessons learned from the backlash around face-mounted cameras with competitors but Apple is apparently still prepping for its own smart glasses sometime in the future.
What to Expect Today
After Apple hits the stage later today nothing is certain, but all signs indicate that today’s event as a minimum will feature the standard iPhone 18 lineup, with strong speculation around either a foldable iPhone or camera-enabled AirPods making their debut, be it major product launches, or simply early previews of what’s about to hit next from Apple.
Source: Yahoo Finance
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