Apple's unreleased iPhone Ultra already has a successor: here's everything we know about Ultra 2

The iPhone Ultra is undoubtedly the most anticipated release from Apple this year. It'll be the first product from the company in the segment where other brands like Samsung and Oppo have already established themselves with devices like the Galaxy Fold 7 and Oppo Find N6, respectively. Well, it appears that Apple is going all in on foldables as a long-term product category rather than a one-off experiment, as a second foldable (possibly the Ultra 2) has reportedly been given the green light for development.

iPhone Ultra 2 is reportedly confirmed

With the hinge-related issue officially resolved, the iPhone Ultra has been pushed for mass production and is expected to be released in September this year. While we're almost three months away from its launch window, news regarding its successor has already started to surface. According to trusted tipster Digital Chat Station, the second-generation iPhone Ultra has been confirmed.

DCS has a pretty solid track record when it comes to sharing information and leaks about upcoming products. In fact, they were the first to reveal that the first Apple foldable would be called iPhone Ultra instead of iPhone Fold. Such a solid track record should be enough to believe any comment made by them; still, I'd advise taking this information with a grain of salt.

But it's also worth noting that Mark Gurman, a highly reputable Bloomberg journalist, also said in one of his newsletters that the tech giant is planning a second generation of iPhone foldables, and it is reportedly codenamed V78. Gurman further mentioned that it'll be released in 2027 alongside the iPhone 20 lineup. So, with both Gurman and DCS talking about the second Apple foldable, the possibility of it happening seems high.

Know details about the iPhone Ultra 2

Other than revealing the codename of the second foldable, the Power On newsletter doesn't reveal anything noteworthy. However, DCS claims in their post that the device will feature a wider foldable screen than the first model. The bigger screen is definitely good news, but the tipsters also mention that the panel will use the same technology that's been used in the iPhone Ultra.

For reference, Apple's this year's foldable is expected to feature a foldable 7.8-inch M16 OLED panel that has been supplied by Samsung. While not confirmed, the decision to use the same tech may have been made to save on component costs. Also, M16 is one of the most advanced displays available, so it really shouldn't be an issue for most consumers if the company decides to use it to ensure the price isn't raised further.

Apple seems confident about the performance of its first foldable

The foldable smartphone market is growing rapidly, and a report from Counterpoint Research suggests that it'll grow even further (20%, to be exact) in 2026 because of the entry of Apple into this segment. The signs of Apple giving the green light to the development of the iPhone Ultra 2 suggest that the company is pretty confident in the sales of its foldable.

The interesting specifications of the device might actually help the Cupertino giant achieve that. For instance, the phone is expected to feature a Touch ID sensor, which hasn't been used in an iPhone since the iPhone 8 series. Also, the phone is expected to have the biggest battery in any iPhone released to date.

However, whether the phone will beat the sales numbers of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 remains to be seen. For reference, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 reportedly became Samsung's fastest-selling foldable smartphone in Western Europe.

In addition to talking about the second-generation Apple foldable, DCS also said in their post that whether we'll see the iPhone Air 3 or not depends entirely on the performance of the iPhone Air 2.

The first Air model definitely didn't perform as well as the company hoped. According to data published by The Elec, which cites Japan’s Mizuho Securities, Apple reduced the production of the Air model by 1 million units due to its low demand. Many users on Reddit believe that the reason behind this is its high pricing and a single camera.

We also found the single wide-angle camera as one of the things we didn't like about the device. The company is most likely going to address this, as its successor is rumored to feature a second rear camera. Whether it'll be enough to attract users towards the phone, only time will tell. 

Coming back to the foldable, I, personally, think it's a good move from Apple to start working on the iPhone Ultra successor, especially considering how well foldables are performing in the market. The only thing I want is to ensure the Ultra 2 isn't as costly as what the first model is expected to be priced at. For reference, the iPhone Ultra is believed to cost around $2000.