The first Apple foldable hasn’t launched yet, and talk is already turning to Ultra 3

The foldable iPhone is not intended to be a one-off experiment: Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reveals this, previewing possible future plans for Apple for its first foldable.

According to the renowned journalist, one of the most influential and reliable voices in tech, Apple reportedly has plans at least up to the third generation and reveals what the main novelty of the iPhone Ultra 3 will be.

iPhone Ultra 3 will introduce a major step forward, but we’ll have to wait

This year Apple is set to revolutionize its smartphone lineup with an addition never seen before for the brand. The biggest aesthetic and functional update to the iPhone won’t arrive for the main lineup, but with a new family of devices.

iPhone Ultra will be the company’s first foldable; the launch is expected for September, alongside the iPhone 18, 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max models. The commercial name has not yet been officially confirmed, and yet all the leaks point in that direction.

Meanwhile there is already talk about the future of the lineup: in his latest op-ed, Gurman has previewed major news for the Apple Watch line, with the introduction of a wearable without a display and more. However, this is a look far into the future, based on the rumors gathered by the author.

There’s no two without three

In the same op-ed, there is also talk about the upcoming iPhone Ultra 2, echoing previous rumors: after the effort of the first model, the second generation won’t introduce display-related novelties. The flagship is expected to use the same 5.5″ internal and 7.8″ external displays as the unreleased foldable iPhone.

But Gurman goes further and “confirms” that Apple is already working on the third model, which we will call iPhone Ultra 3. The author doesn’t go too far, merely stating that the device will have larger displays, both outside and inside.

The first of a long series

As noted in the opening, Bloomberg’s editorial is useful for understanding Apple’s strategy.

Its first foldable will not be a self-contained experiment but the entry device into a new sector; at this point Samsung may start to worry, because its dominance in the foldable segment could run into trouble with the entry of a new competitor.

iPhone Ultra – Presumed Specifications

• Dimensions and weight:
  • open – 167.6 mm x 120.6 mm x 4.5 mm
  • closed – 83.8 mm x 120.6 mm x 9.23 mm
• Colors: Silver, Dark Blue
• Durability: /
• Display:
  • external – Flat OLED 5.5″ 1.5K (2,088 x 1,422 px) with 120 Hz refresh rate
  • internal – Foldable OLED 7.8″ 3K (2,713 x 1,920 px) with 4:3 aspect ratio and 120 Hz refresh rate, LTPO ProMotion
• Security: side Touch ID fingerprint reader
• Cooling: liquid with vapor chamber
• SoC: Apple A20 Pro, 2 nm TSMC
• CPU: octa-core (?)
  • 2 x Performance
  • 6 x Efficiency
• GPU: 10-core (?)
• RAM: 12 GB RAM LPDDR5X
• Storage: 256/512 GB/1 TB NVMe non-expandable
• Battery: 4,883 mAh
• Charging: 35-40W, MagSafe wireless
• Camera: dual 48 + 48 MP with ultra-wide
• Selfie camera:
• Connectivity and others: Dual SIM 5G, perhaps eSIM only, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, Dual GPS, stereo speaker, USB-C
• Operating system: iOS 27