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Many of the most important iPhone Fold, iPhone 18 Pro, and 18 Pro Max specs might be out of the bag

Various bits and pieces of the three spec sheets have been rumored before, but now we're getting even more info.

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By Adrian Diaconescu

Published: Jan 16, 2026, 2:44 AM

If you're excited by the prospect of Apple finally releasing its first-ever foldable iPhone this year, a new report is likely to further boost your enthusiasm by making the device feel real with more technical details attached to its name than ever before.

But the iPhone Fold will not see daylight on its own in September, and if you have lingering questions about the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, a bunch of answers are also provided today by a generally reliable source.

Is this the game-changing foldable you've all been waiting for?

7.8-inch primary display;
5.3-inch secondary screen;
Apple A20 Pro processor;
Apple N2 wireless networking chip;
Apple C2 modem;
12GB RAM;
48MP + 48MP dual rear-facing camera system;
18MP front-facing camera;
18MP cover camera;
Touch ID;
Titanium + aluminum construction.

Before rushing to answer my question with a clear and definitive no, you should try to remember that Apple typically avoids playing the "numbers game", often falling behind many of its competitors in terms of specifications (at least at first glance) while performing remarkably well in day-to-day use time and time again.

iPhone Fold power button/Touch ID sensor

That button is likely to house the iPhone Fold's fingerprint scanner. | Image Credit -- FrontPageTech on YouTube

Otherwise put, you probably shouldn't judge the iPhone Fold too harshly before you get a chance to see it in action in the fall, or better yet, before you can take its (potentially creaseless) display, uber-powerful chipset, and cameras for a spin out in the real world.

I know, those two rear-facing snappers sound disappointing, especially when you consider the 200 + 10 + 12MP triple camera setup on the back of Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7, but at the same time, the two 18MP selfie cams are very likely to be better than what many of the best foldables around offer in the same department.

Are you happy with these rumored iPhone Fold specs?

Very much so Relatively happy No, the cameras don't sound good enough No, Touch ID is a dealbreaker for me No, the entire spec sheet sounds off

Perhaps the biggest compromise future iPhone Fold buyers are expected to make is do without the Face ID technology hardcore Apple fans have undoubtedly grown fond of over the last few years. While there's obviously nothing inherently wrong with a Touch ID fingerprint sensor, the product's rumored price point strongly suggested no (important) corners would be cut in this bad boy's manufacturing process.

Will you "settle" for an iPhone 18 Pro or 18 Pro Max instead?

6.9-inch display - Pro Max / 6.3-inch screen - 18 Pro;
Apple A20 Pro processor;
Apple N2 wireless networking chip;
Apple C2 modem;
12GB RAM;
48 + 48 + 48MP triple rear-facing camera system;
18MP front-facing camera;
Face ID with smaller Dynamic Island;
Aluminum construction.

If you're not entirely sold on foldable devices just yet or simply don't think you'll want to cough up more than $2,000 for a first-gen product, it's probably going to make a lot of sense for a lot of people to play it safe with a new non-foldable Apple flagship this fall.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max is likely to come with a smaller Dynamic Island and very few other cosmetic differences compared to the 17 Pro Max. | Image Credit -- PhoneArena

That's especially true if you have no intention to give up your trusty facial recognition system or if you'd rather get the best possible cameras than all that screen real estate promised by the iPhone Fold.

In case you're wondering why I'm not bringing you any information on the "vanilla" iPhone 18, that's because Apple is widely expected to revise its product launch schedule and only bring that non-Pro handset out next spring, followed by a potentially revolutionary iPhone 20 family in the fall of 2027.

Remember that nothing is certain until it's certain

That goes for the aforementioned non-Pro iPhone 18, which could still be shifted at the eleventh hour to a "normal" release this fall, the second-gen iPhone Air, which is curiously missing from today's report despite being expected by many to come out in 2026, but also the iPhone Fold.

This iPhone Fold design is still far from etched in stone. | Image Credit -- FrontPageTech on YouTube

Apple's answer for the increasingly popular (and refined) Galaxy Z Fold roster has been postponed so many times over the years that I definitely wouldn't be surprised if the company ends up making that decision again and pushing it back to 2027 to get it "just right."

Of course, achieving the perfect design in today's mobile industry is simply not possible, so that would clearly be an unwise call when the global foldable market is in such a desperate need for a savior breath of fresh air. But hey, if Apple does decide to delay the iPhone Fold again, maybe the biometric recognition and cameras will be reconsidered and upgraded, offering... those of you who are willing to wait everything you ever wished for.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.

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