Introduction High expenses on prototypes, a lot of changes made to design, and the delay in the delivery

Apple is poised to enter the foldable smartphone market with its first folding iPhone, widely rumored to be branded as the iPhone Ultra (or simply “iPhone Fold”). Expected to debut alongside the iPhone 18 Pro series in September 2026, the device marks a major milestone in Apple’s mobile strategy after years of development focused on solving the durability issues that plagued early market rivals.

Design: Passport Profile, Titanium Frame, and Liquidmetal Hinge

• Form Factor: The device adopts a book-style horizontal fold (opening like a book) rather than a vertical flip form factor. When closed, it features a wider “passport-style” profile—more similar to the original Google Pixel Fold than Samsung’s narrower Z Fold series.

• Dimensions: Rumored chassis measurements point to an ultrathin design: roughly 4.5–4.8 mm unfolded and 9.0–9.5 mm folded.

• Liquidmetal & Hinge Tech: Apple is widely reported to be using Liquidmetal (bulk metallic glass) for key internal hinge components. Unlike standard crystalline metals, this alloy has an amorphous, glass-like atomic structure that offers exceptional elasticity, high yield strength, and superior wear resistance. This design choice allows the hinge to withstand hundreds of thousands of folds without loosening or deforming, while working alongside 3D-printed titanium support plates and chemically treated ultra-thin glass (UTG) to minimize screen creasing.

• Biometrics & Hardware: Due to the ultra-slim profile when unfolded, Face ID hardware may be replaced by a Touch ID sensor integrated into the power button. Wireless charging and MagSafe compatibility are expected to remain, supported by a specialized back plate structure.

Display: Dual Screens Built for Multitasking

• Inner Display: A 7.7–7.8-inch flexible OLED panel with a roughly 4:3 aspect ratio, giving users an iPad mini-like workspace when unfolded.

• Outer Display: A 5.3–5.5-inch cover screen optimized for quick single-handed tasks when folded.

• Software Experience: The foldable runs a customized version of iOS with adaptive multitasking features designed for multi-window layouts and intermediate angle positions.

Performance and Hardware Specs

• Processor: Powered by Apple’s next-generation A20 chip (built on a 2nm process) and paired with Apple’s custom C-series cellular modem.

• Memory & Storage: Equipped with 12GB of RAM to handle heavy multitasking and Apple Intelligence on-device AI features.

• Battery: Features a split dual-battery design with a combined capacity of around 5,000–5,500 mAh—making it one of the largest battery systems ever put into an iPhone.

• Camera System: Expected to feature a premium multi-camera array engineered specifically for thin housings, utilizing advanced folded optics (periscope layout).

Pricing and Release Timeline

• Launch Window: Target release is September 2026 alongside the flagship iPhone 18 Pro lineup, though initial supply may be constrained.

• Price Point: Positioned as an ultra-premium flagship, pricing is expected to start between $2,000 and $2,500, placing it well above the Pro Max tier.
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MacDailyNews Take: Those who want to get their foldable iPhones before Christmas: Order in the first minute of pre-orders!

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The post Unfold the Future: Everything we know about Apple’s first folding iPhone appeared first on MacDailyNews.

A predatory sea worm known as Perinereis cultrifera possesses jaws that do not fit neatly into either biological or metallic categories. These jaws consist of structural proteins reinforced with metal ions, giving them mechanical properties unlike those of either conventional metals or ordinary biological tissue.

This unique combination of composition and mechanical behavior led researchers from TU Wien and the University of Vienna to propose an entirely new material classification. In a recent paper published in Biophysics Reviews, the team suggests that the creature’s jaws represent a distinct class of material, which they term bio-metal.

The jaws of bristle worms such as P. cultrifera are formed by linking structural proteins with metal ions, producing a material tough enough to crush and bite prey. Previous studies called these tissues metallike biomaterials, meaning they share some properties with metals, like strength or conductivity. The new study argues that this term is too broad. According to the researchers, a true bio-metal must meet three criteria: it must be hard, display specific strain mechanics, and have a well-defined ion-protein structure.

Hardness With a Metal Signature

To test if the jaw met these criteria, the researchers used nanoindentation, which means pressing a tiny probe into the tissue to measure its properties. They also conducted chemical tests and imaging at the same time. The results confirmed earlier findings that the jaw tips contain higher concentrations of metal ions than the center, likely making the tips harder.

When the probe pressed into the jaw at different depths, the researchers observed something called the Nix-Gao size effect. This effect, seen before in metals like copper and silver, means that smaller areas resist deformation more than larger ones. The reason is that strain gradients become larger in smaller regions, increasing resistance to deformation. Finding this metal-like behavior in worm jaws is one reason scientists have compared the material to metals.

Where the Metal Comparison Breaks Down

However, the jaw does not behave exactly like metals such as copper. Its elasticity changes depending on the size of the area tested, which is not seen in crystalline metals.

“Bristle worm jaws also showed size-dependent elasticity — this is a distinguishing feature of bio-metals when compared to standard crystalline metals like copper or silver,” said Christian Hellmich, one of the paper’s authors. Copper and silver can show a hardness size effect, but neither exhibits the size-dependent elasticity that the team measured in the worm jaw. That distinction is one reason the researchers argue that these materials deserve their own category.

To explain this property, the researchers built a mathematical model showing how the jaw’s atomic structure leads to the elastic size effect. This model helps explain the effect and gives a basis for future research.

“We plan to extend the experimental database by investigating additional species to refine the theoretical concept and perform dedicated computations, and — perhaps most interestingly — to explore the link between genetic interventions and the corresponding material design space,” Hellmich said. “All this comes with true excitement about the beauty, elegance, and refinement found in and produced by nature.”

Next, the researchers plan to explore how genetic changes influence the development of these materials. If successful, the work could eventually help engineers develop new biomimetic materials inspired by the ion-protein architecture found in these worms.

Austin Burgess is a writer and researcher with a background in sales, marketing, and data analytics. He holds an MBA, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, and a data analytics certification. His work focuses on breaking scientific developments, with an emphasis on emerging biology, cognitive neuroscience, and archaeological discoveries.