iPhone Fold offers multitasking & iPad-like navigation

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According to recent reports, the iPhone Fold will be one of the most unusual devices in Apple's iPhone lineup. The foldable smartphone is expected to be unveiled in September and will combine features of a classic iPhone with functions previously more commonly associated with the iPad.

At its core is a new usage concept: When closed, the device functions like a normal iPhone. However, when the iPhone Fold is unfolded, it transforms into a larger display with a surface strongly reminiscent of the iPad. This opens up new possibilities for multitasking, app layouts, and media consumption.

Apple has been working on foldable devices for years, but has deliberately taken its time with the market launch. While other manufacturers have already released several generations of foldable smartphones, Apple is pursuing its own approach.

The iPhone Fold is intended to offer not just a foldable display, but a true combination of smartphone and tablet. Apple is developing a customized user interface, new tools for developers, and a display format particularly well-suited for running apps simultaneously and displaying larger content (via Bloomberg).

iPhone Fold as a hybrid of iPhone and iPad

The basic concept of the iPhone Fold is based on a hybrid of iPhone and iPad. When closed, the device looks externally like a classic iPhone with a so-called slab design. Apps are displayed normally, and the device can be operated like any other iPhone.

When unfolded, the device's functionality changes significantly. The inner display is roughly the size of an iPad mini. This creates a considerably larger workspace, primarily intended for multitasking, videos, and productivity apps.

Apple uses a 4:3 aspect ratio, familiar from the iPad. Unlike many competing devices, Apple doesn't opt for a particularly long display, but rather a wider format. This format is better suited for:

Apps arranged side by side
watching videos
Web browsing
productive applications

This should allow the iPhone Fold to take over tasks that were previously done primarily on the iPad.

Multitasking with two apps simultaneously

One of the most important new features of the iPhone Fold is its support for multitasking with two apps simultaneously. When the device is unfolded, two applications can run side-by-side on the display. This feature was previously unavailable on the iPhone.

Previous iPhones only offered picture-in-picture functionality, where, for example, a video played in a small window while another app was open. However, having two full apps on the screen simultaneously was previously only possible on the iPad.

With the iPhone Fold, this changes for the first time. Two apps can be used simultaneously, enabling scenarios such as the following:

Reading emails and simultaneously writing notes
Watching a video while surfing the internet
working in two different apps simultaneously

This multitasking is particularly supported by the wider 4:3 display.

App layouts with sidebars

Many apps on the iPhone Fold will use sidebars on the left side of the display. These sidebars are already familiar from the iPad and offer quick access to important areas of an app. Typical examples include:

Navigation menus
Folders or categories
additional tools or options

The larger display allows apps to show more content at once without constantly switching between different views.

New tools for developers

To ensure apps function optimally on the new display, Apple plans to provide new developer tools.

These tools allow developers to customize their existing iPhone apps so that they:

larger layouts support
Integrate sidebars
Better presentation of content side by side

The goal is a user interface that makes good use of the additional display space and is not simply an enlarged iPhone app.

iPad-style user interface

When the iPhone Fold is opened, the user interface is very similar to that of the iPad. Apps can display more content at once and use additional navigation elements.

Despite this similarity, the device still runs on iOS and not iPadOS. This has some important consequences:

iPadOS apps cannot be run directly on the iPhone Fold.
Some advanced multitasking features of the iPad remain exclusive to iPadOS.
The system remains essentially an iPhone operating system.

Apple is therefore combining iPad-like elements with the iOS system of the iPhone.

The outer display of the iPhone Fold

When closed, the outer display shows apps just like on a regular iPhone. On the front is a front-facing camera with a hole in the display. This camera is used for selfies and video calls.

However, the iPhone Fold does not support facial recognition with Face ID, as the device lacks a TrueDepth system. Instead, Apple relies on a different biometric solution.

Fingerprint sensor instead of Face ID

The iPhone Fold uses a fingerprint sensor integrated into the power button. This solution is reminiscent of the design of some iPad models, where the fingerprint sensor is also integrated into the power button.

Due to the limited space inside the casing, Apple has opted to forgo the complex Face ID technology in the iPhone Fold.

Dynamic Island will remain

Although the device lacks a TrueDepth system, a familiar element of the iPhone interface remains: Dynamic Island. The camera area still supports features such as:

Live activities
relevant notifications
Status information from apps

The Dynamic Island will therefore remain a central component of the user interface.

iPhone Fold camera

Apple tested various camera solutions for the iPhone Fold. One possible option was a camera under the inner display, but this delivered significantly worse images compared to a visible camera. For this reason, Apple ultimately decided against this solution. Instead, the device uses a visible punch-hole camera.

On the back is a dual-camera system with two cameras. Due to the limited space inside the casing, there will be no triple-camera system like those found on some other iPhone models.

Price and market position

According to current information, the iPhone Fold is expected to cost around $2,000. This would make it the most expensive iPhone in Apple's 2026 lineup.

The high price is partly due to the new technology, especially:

the foldable display
the new hardware architecture
the larger interior screen

Apple is clearly positioning the device as a premium product.

The iPhone Fold combines iPhone and iPad into one device

The iPhone Fold could represent a new device category within the iPhone lineup. The concept combines a classic smartphone with a larger display, which, when unfolded, takes on many of the features of an iPad.

Key features include the 4:3 display, the two-app multitasking function, new app layouts with sidebars, and a user interface based on the iPad.

At the same time, the device remains an iPhone with iOS as its operating system. Apple also takes its own approach to design, for example with a fingerprint sensor in the power button, a hole-punch camera instead of an under-display camera, and a dual-camera system on the back.

With a price of around $2,000, the iPhone Fold will clearly be positioned in the premium segment and will occupy a special role within the iPhone lineup. (Photo by seveniwe / Bigstockphoto)