Apple’s first foldable iPhone, dubbed “iPhone Ultra,” is expected to launch without at least four features that will be present on the iPhone 18 Pro models, despite a price tag of at least $2,000.
The iPhone Air lacks Ultra Wide and Telephoto rear cameras, a SIM card slot and stereo speakers. With an ultra-thin design, titanium frame, and glass back, the iPhone Ultra is expected to be very similar to the iPhone Air in terms of design, and it’s possible that similar concessions will be present on the device. There’s no indication that the iPhone Ultra will lack stereo speakers, but it’s not out of the question given the other compromises Apple has chosen to make. Based on over a year of reports and rumors, the iPhone Ultra may lack the following features:
- Face ID/TrueDepth camera network
- Telephoto/third rear camera
- Action button
- Physical SIM card slot
- mmWave 5G
MagSafe was initially in question earlier in the rumor cycle.
Face ID
The iPhone Ultra is thought to be too thin to accommodate Apple’s TrueDepth camera array, which is required for Face ID authentication, so Apple should instead revert to a Touch ID side button.
There will still be a front camera for both screens, with the interior camera expected to be a 24-megapixel under-display sensor, but biometric authentication will be handled by the fingerprint reader.
The last flagship iPhone with Touch ID was 2016’s iPhone 7. The iPhone 18 Pro models move in the opposite direction, apparently moving Face ID’s illuminator below the screen to reduce the dynamic island.
Telephoto camera
As seen in dummy models shared by Sonny Dickson, Vadim Yuryev and others, the iPhone Ultra is expected to feature only two rear cameras. These would be 48-megapixel wide-angle and ultra-wide lenses, without a third telephoto lens of the type found on the Pro models.
BloombergMark Gurman of , said last month that people who have used the device were impressed with it, but singled out the camera system as the most likely disappointment for buyers.
Action button
Dummy models continue to highlight the absence of the Action button. A power button and volume buttons are clearly visible, with the volume buttons located on the top edge of the device and aligned to the right, like on the iPad mini, but the left edge appears entirely bare. This would make the iPhone Ultra the first iPhone without an action button or silent switch, about three years after Apple introduced the action button on the iPhone 15 Pro as a replacement for the switch.
The unusual button layout was first reported by Weibo leaker “Instant Digital”, who said the motherboard was on the right side of the device. Rather than running the cables over the display on the left side, where the volume buttons are on all other iPhones, Apple has reportedly decided to route them straight up to maximize internal space.
SIM card slot
Rumors indicate that the iPhone Ultra will also not have a SIM card slot, just like the iPhone Air, being compatible only with eSIM. Gurman and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo both expect the device to be eSIM-only in all markets where it launches.
mmWave 5G connectivity
The device is likely to lack mmWave 5G if equipped with Apple’s internal C2 modem, as rumored, as reports indicate the C2 may still lack mmWave capability. The iPhone 18 Pro models sold in the US are expected to retain Qualcomm hardware as they support the mmWave bands used by US carriers. Apple doesn’t sell mmWave-enabled iPhones outside the US
The C2-based configuration of the iPhone Ultra would therefore advance Apple’s modem transition, just like the iPhone Air, but could limit the device to 5G below 6 GHz.
MagSafe?
BloombergMark Gurman has now indicated that MagSafe will eventually be integrated into the device. Speaking in an interview with Tom’s guideGurman said that “all the indications I’ve heard are that MagSafe is planned for this foldable phone”, pointing to the fact that Apple managed to integrate the magnetic network into the iPhone Air.
The uncertainty came from dummy models of the device that emerged earlier this year. The units shared by Dickson and Yuryev showed no indentation for the internal MagSafe magnets, while the fake iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max units shown next to them clearly did. In contrast, the leaked folding cases included a magnetic ring, leaving the question open until recently.
Pricing and launch
The rumored starting price of the iPhone Ultra varies, but reports agree that it won’t be less than $1,999, with Kuo placing it between $2,000 and $2,500. The iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,099 and has all of the features above, and while the iPhone 18 Pro is expected to see a price increase of $200 to $300, the iPhone Ultra compromises could still prove controversial.
Apple will almost certainly unveil the device alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max at its “Surprise and Shine” event on Wednesday, September 9.
