Apple plans to enter the foldable smartphone market in September 2026, debuting its first foldable iPhone. We've heard multiple rumors about the design of the upcoming device, but little has been revealed about the operating system or the software features.
Rumors suggest the iPhone Fold will be around 5.4 inches when closed, and approximately 7.6 inches when open, giving it a 4:3 aspect ratio. We did a video featuring a rough iPhone Fold mockup at those dimensions yesterday, which provides an idea of what the device will look like.
When unfolded, the upcoming iPhone will be bigger than any iPhone to date, and not too far off in size from the original iPad mini. The current iPad mini has an 8.3-inch screen size, but the first models had a 7.9-inch display.
Since the iPhone Fold's inner display will be close to an iPad in size, will it run iOS or iPadOS? Will it work like a standard iPhone when the display is closed, and an iPad when it's open? Or will it get something in between?
We haven't heard much about iOS 27 as of yet or what Apple has in store for the iPhone Fold, so it's still a mystery. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says that iOS 27 will lay the foundation for the foldable iPhone and future foldables, but that's about it.
With a larger display, the iPhone Fold will probably support some kind of split screen view or multitasking option, perhaps even adopting Slide Over. Apple Pencil support for a 7.6-inch display could make sense, but the iPhone Fold's display will be an awkward middle size between an iPhone and an iPad. We haven't heard rumors that the iPhone Fold will work with the Apple Pencil, but we also haven't heard rumors that it won't.
Apple Pencil support could be useful for quick note taking, sketches, signing documents, editing photos and videos, and more. Steve Jobs famously said "Nobody wants a stylus," but in the years since he touted the ergonomics of the finger, the stylus has evolved. The Apple Pencil isn't one of the tiny plastic pens or imprecise rubber-tipped styluses that were around back in 2007 when Jobs commented on them. It's a writing implement that accurately mimics a pen or a pencil, and it feels natural to use.
Samsung's foldables supported the optional S Pen for many years, but the latest Galaxy Z Fold7 dropped the feature for a thinner and lighter design, which might not bode well for Apple offering the functionality. Rumors suggest the iPhone Fold is going to be somewhere around 4.5mm thick when unfolded, which will make it thinner than Apple's 5.1mm iPad Pro, the thinnest Apple device to date.
Some dedicated Samsung Galaxy Fold users are unhappy with the feature's removal, so there are definitely foldable smartphone customers out there who like the flexibility of being able to use a stylus. Rumors suggest that Samsung is considering bringing S Pen support back to the next-generation Galaxy Fold, which will, coincidentally, have a shorter, wider design to match the iPhone Fold. If Apple implements Apple Pencil support and Samsung doesn't, it's possible Apple will draw some switchers who don't want to use a foldable without a pen option. The opposite is also a possibility, so Apple could lose customers who don't want a foldable without a pen.
Google didn't design a stylus for the Pixel Fold, but it did implement support for the Universal Stylus Initiative (USI), so the device works with third-party USI pens. USI pens don't have the same functionality as the Apple Pencil, lacking features like pressure sensitivity, but the basic stylus functionality is there for those who want it.
Apple could do something similar to Google. Add support for the Apple Pencil for those who want it, without making it a primary marketing point. That would make the Apple Pencil available for those who want the extra functionality, but it wouldn't be a necessity. Apple could also design an iPhone Fold-specific Apple Pencil that is sized to the device and able to be charged with it, but it all depends on how Apple wants to market the iPhone Fold.
If it's marketed as an iPhone, Apple Pencil support is unlikely. Apple has long championed a touch-first approach, and no Apple Pencil support for the iPhone clearly separates it from the iPad. If it's marketed as an iPhone and iPad hybrid device, Apple Pencil support seems like more of a possibility.
Apple might not be able to implement Apple Pencil support at all because of technical limitations. Rumors suggest that the iPhone Fold is so thin that it doesn't have the space for the TrueDepth camera hardware for Face ID, so Apple is instead adding a Touch ID button to the device. With space at such a premium, a digitizer layer for the Apple Pencil is probably impossible. Apple also needs to take into account how an Apple Pencil would impact iPhone Fold features like the crease in the middle, and that might add too much complication.
Even if the first-generation iPhone Fold doesn't get Apple Pencil support, it could be a feature that Apple adds in the future as display technology improves.
Do you want Apple Pencil support for the iPhone Fold? Let us know in the comments below.
