Apple has increased its orders for vapor chamber cooling components believed to be destined for its upcoming foldable iPhones and 20th anniversary iPhone models, according to a Chinese leaker.
The Weibo account known as “Fixed Focus Digital” claims that the increased order volume will first support manufacturing of Apple’s foldable model, or “iPhone Ultra,” which is expected to debut in September. Apple has reportedly asked its suppliers to produce around 10 million foldable iPhones in 2026, compared to an earlier forecast of seven to eight million units.
Fixed Focus Digital previously said Apple’s first foldable iPhone will feature “impressive” vapor chamber cooling, saying the company is “going all out” with the device’s thermal engineering. Although there is no corroborating evidence, it is quite possible that the foldable design adopted by Apple presents unique cooling challenges due to its thinner internal structure and limited space for heat dissipation.
Apple introduced vapor chamber cooling to the iPhone lineup with last year’s iPhone 17 Pro. The system uses a small amount of deionized water to draw heat away from the A19 Pro chip and distribute it through the device’s aluminum unibody frame.
Meanwhile, next year’s 20th anniversary iPhone will reportedly feature an edge-to-edge display with glass that curves on all four sides, aiming to create a near-borderless appearance. If indeed we see such a device with a significantly redesigned case, there’s a good chance that it too will require a more advanced cooling system.
Apple is expected to offer two anniversary models in 2027 in sizes similar to the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. These latest devices are rumored to retain the 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch dimensions of the current iPhone 17 Pro models, suggesting that next year’s commemorative lineup could use the same screen sizes.
Earlier this week, Fixed Focus Digital claimed that Apple’s “preferred approach” for the iPhone 20 was a return to glass and that the manufacturing facilities involved had already been renovated ahead of the project.
