Foldables —
There are also several new details about the iPhone 16, 17, and SE.
Enlarge / The iPhone 15 lineup.
Samuel Axon
After years of rumors and speculation, Apple is moving ahead to produce its first foldable iPhone, according to two anonymous sources who spoke with tech publication The Information.
The sources say that Apple has begun discussing specific component requirements with suppliers and offered several new details about both the foldable device and the upcoming iPhone 16, iPhone 17, and revamped iPhone SE.
The foldable phone would arrive no sooner than 2026, as it takes about two years to go through the process of manufacturing a new iPhone model. It's also still possible that Apple will abandon its plans in the future.
When the foldable iPhone does arrive, it will reportedly have a clamshell design similar to that of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. Codenamed "V68," the device would be much thinner when opened up than current iPhones, as Apple's goal is to make sure the foldable device is not too thick when closed.
Apple has invested design effort into solving the problem of the screen crease that appears on foldable phones that tends to worsen each time the device is folded. There are still barriers for the new device, though; the Information's sources note that "Apple's designers also have struggled to come up with enough compelling features that would make consumers want one, especially given its high retail cost compared to nonfoldable phones."
Other iPhone plans
In the course of describing plans for the foldable iPhone, The Information's sources also shared several details about other upcoming iPhone models, including the next iPhone SE refresh and the iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 lines.
Codenamed V59, the iPhone SE is expected to be "ramping up mass production" for the next version in October, meaning the phone could begin shipping to consumers just a few months after that.
The iPhone 16 lineup is said to include a new internal graphite plate to alleviate the heat issues we encountered with the iPhone 15 models. Matching other recent reports, the iPhone 16 will also include a new button by its bottom-right corner that will be used for taking pictures and videos. The button will be touch- and pressure-sensitive, allowing for tweaking zoom levels and focus.
The two "smaller" iPhone 16 models (presumably the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, but not the iPhone 16 Plus or iPhone 16 Pro Max) will feature an easier path to replacing batteries.
The report also suggests the entire iPhone 16 line will get the powerful optical zoom function previously reserved for more expensive phones in the iPhone 15 line.
The details don't end with 2024, either. 2025's lineup is said to include a significantly thinner iPhone, as well as an adjustable aperture on the camera. The new camera aperture feature would allow users to achieve a real bokeh effect in their photos instead of relying on machine learning, which can sometimes make mistakes in faking it.
All this new information on upcoming iPhones suggests that Apple is continuing to seek modest, iterative improvements to the devices, with a sustained emphasis on camera functionality. There's no evidence there will be a radical overhaul of the iPhone's features or design in the next two years, apart from the reduction in thickness.
Hardware innovation hasn't been a main focus for the iPhone for a few years now. Apple has instead been working on new product categories, like the Vision Pro headset and the oft-rumored HomePod-with-a-screen.