When was the last time that you were excited about the possibility of something NOT happening? I am right now; word on the street is that the upcoming first-ever foldable iPhone, the alleged iPhone Ultra, might not happen.
Now, don't get me wrong—Cupertino's foldable isn't being cancelled all of a sudden. It just might be called differently in the end.
And that's great.
The element of surprise
This doesn't look great. | Image by TechDroider on X
What we're lacking today (among other things like sane world leaders, long-term currency value and mental stability in our private lives) is the element of surprise. In the tech world, particularly in the smartphone realm, we usually know virtually everything about any given device in advance.
Google, for example, is especially bad at keeping things secret. Mere days before the big Pixel 11 unveiling (which took place on August 12), we got hold of the mother of all Pixel Watch 5 leaks that left no question unanswered. And this was just the final drop. For months and months prior to that, we got one leak after another.
Same (to some extent) goes with whatever Samsung and Apple have to offer—their devices are being unofficially "presented" months and weeks before the big day.
I love leaks, they're important and I respect leakers. Based on preliminary information, one can decide whether it's worth it to start saving money for a new $1,500–$2,000 flagship or spend a weekend in Florida making questionable life decisions.
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But the thrill is gone, as B.B. King once said. Instead of anticipating the big unveiling day—and being blown away by what companies have come up with in terms of hardware and software—we're waiting to check some boxes. Leaks, especially those in the final weeks and days before the premiere event, are usually 90–100% correct.
What does this have to do with the foldable iPhone?
Well, we're pretty well informed about what the foldable iPhone will be like in terms of specs. Nobody has (yet) seen it in real life, so there's some element of surprise left for us. There are many renders that depict Cupertino's upcoming bending phone, but there's some actual mystery left.
Personally, I'd be happy if it's not called iPhone Ultra—the moniker that everyone (including me) has been using for months now.
Per the latest rumor (ah, the irony!), the foldable iPhone could be called the iPhone Fold instead. In an ideal world, it would be dubbed iFold (which begs for a clamshell called iFlip down the road), but iPhone Fold is close enough. It rolls off the tongue naturally.
My obsession with the iPhone Fold moniker isn't about alliteration. I genuinely believe that the Ultra moniker should be reserved for a special device.
Yes, it's Apple's first-ever foldable we're talking about here and at Cupertino, I'm sure everyone is pretty hyped about it. But in reality, foldables aren't some alien technology. We've been using the best foldables for years now. You can't stun us with an "Ultra" moniker on a simple foldable, Apple.
Ultra should be reserved for something truly special, maybe for the anniversary job, the iPhone 20 next year.
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What's more, if Apple decides to go with the iPhone Fold moniker and ditches the iPhone Ultra one, I think it'll be a win-win situation for Cupertino.
If Apple blesses a device of the iPhone 20 with the Ultra moniker, it would ring a bell and activate our 2026 muscle memory; people have already heard about an "iPhone Ultra" and they'll remember this in 2027. The more we're exposed to the same message, the more familiar—and eventually desirable—the product becomes. That's what I call a power move.
Now, if only Apple would make the alleged iPhone 20 Ultra truly Ultra: a battery over 8,000 mAh, a 1-inch main camera sensor, a 200 MP telephoto, 100W charging speeds, a bright display and a truly intelligent Siri.
Not too much to ask for, right?
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Sebastian is one of PhoneArena’s senior opinionators. A veteran news writer with almost 20 years of experience in media and technology, he not only covers all the hot news about Galaxies and iPhones, but often provides hot takes on industry trends. He’s fascinated with camera-focused flagships from the likes of Oppo and Vivo, as well as foldable phones.
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