Apple is already making plans for its third-generation foldable iPhone, with launch expected as early as 2028, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


Writing in his latest "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said the first foldable iPhone is about to get what he called the device's first "truly revolutionary design change" this year, and that Apple already has a roadmap extending two generations beyond it. A second-generation model is planned for 2027, Gurman says, with a third version following as early as 2028.

The third-generation foldable will apparently feature slightly larger displays on both the inside and the outside compared to its predecessors, though he did not provide specific screen sizes. The first foldable iPhone is expected to launch with a 7.8-inch inner display and a 5.5-inch cover display, so any increase would build on those dimensions. This is the first report to lay out plans for a third-generation model, extending Apple's foldable roadmap a year beyond where it previously stood.

The first foldable iPhone is expected to arrive this year with an ultra-thin design, Touch ID instead of Face ID, the A20 chip, C2 modem, and the moniker "iPhone Ultra," at a price around or above $2,000. The second-generation foldable, meanwhile, is reported to have already received the go-ahead for development, according to the Weibo leaker known as "Digital Chat Station," who said the "‌iPhone Ultra‌ 2" project has been formally approved and will likely reuse the first-generation model's display. That model is expected to launch in fall 2027 alongside the 20th-anniversary iPhone.



This article, "Foldable 'iPhone Ultra 3' Rumored to Feature Larger Displays" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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New images of camera protector accessories for the "iPhone Ultra" suggest Apple's first foldable iPhone will launch in silver and dark blue finishes.


Leaker Sonny Dickson yesterday shared images of two third-party camera protectors designed to fit over the ‌iPhone Ultra‌'s camera bump, with one in silver and one in a dark blue finish. Dickson has a track record of accurate accessory and dummy model leaks, including his early look at this year's iPhone 18 Pro colors.

The images back up a May report that cited a Macworld supply chain source describing a classic silver and white model alongside an indigo option similar to the iPhone 17 Pro's Deep Blue finish. A silver finish was separately described as the first "confirmed" color in June, and a report the same week suggested the darker option might not be black. Dickson's accessories now offer the clearest visual confirmation yet of that silver and dark blue offering.



The restrained approach stands in contrast to the iPhone 18 Pro, which is rumored to add a Dark Cherry finish and a Light Blue option alongside Silver this year. A black option for the Pro models was also rumored initially, though a subsequent report suggested Apple decided not to include it this year.

The leaked accessories also clearly show the widely rumored design of the camera plateau on the back of the foldable iPhone, featuring two horizontally arranged lenses alongside a pill-shaped flash and a LiDAR scanner. The foldable ‌iPhone Ultra‌ is expected to be announced alongside the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max next month.
This article, "Foldable 'iPhone Ultra' Rumored to Come in These Two Colors" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The iPhone 18 Pro, ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max, and foldable "iPhone Ultra" could be in short supply this year, leading to long wait times and an initial sellout during preorders.


Semiconductor analyst Tim Culpan says Apple is having trouble getting enough DRAM to finish production of the new iPhone models, and chip supplier TSMC has $1 billion worth of unpackaged processors waiting on memory chips.

Apple's new A20 Pro chips are built on TSMC's 2nm process and use Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module packaging to integrate the processor and DRAM at the wafer level. Unfortunately, that means TSMC needs to have the DRAM on hand for assembly, and it can't be added at a later step. Apple is not able to stockpile finished dies and then add DRAM when it becomes available.

Apple and its assemblers think they can meet initial demand, but retail inventory could sell quickly, leading to prolonged delivery estimates. The chip backlog will delay main logic board assembly and final device assembly, which could impact production at Foxconn and other assemblers.

DRAM has been in short supply for months and has led to long wait times for the Mac Studio, Mac mini, and MacBook Air. Companies that make memory are prioritizing chips for AI data centers because those chips are more profitable, leaving little capacity available for manufacturing chips for consumer devices.

We've had ongoing rumors about manufacturing issues with the ‌iPhone Ultra‌ due to the complexity of the design, and supplies of the new foldable could be the most limited of the three iPhone models. Some reports suggest the foldable iPhone could be introduced in September and then launch later, in October or November, but others say it will be available at the same time as the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and Pro Max.

The ‌iPhone Ultra‌ is going to cost as much as $2,500, but the novel form factor and Apple's new Apple Upgrade pricing option could lead to more people being willing to shell out for the device. Apple is also expected to raise prices for the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max, and analysts believe the devices could be up to $300 more expensive because Apple is paying more for RAM.

Last year, the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max sold out during the preorder period, and shipping times extended into October. Along with potential production delays impacting supply, there will be no lower-cost iPhone 18 for people to choose this year, putting more pressure on ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ supplies. Apple is not planning to launch the standard ‌iPhone 18‌ until early 2027.

If you're looking to get one of the new iPhone models in September, it's a good idea to preorder right when the devices become available for purchase to have the best chance of getting one on launch day.
This article, "iPhone 18 Pro and Foldable iPhone Could Sell Out Fast Due to Memory Shortage" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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