A concept art of iPhone Ultra. | Image by Talks Tech Newz
The iPhone Ultra is probably one of the most anticipated product releases of this year. It's going to be the first foldable from Apple – the tech company that has always taken a conservative approach in adopting new technology, whether it be silicon-carbon batteries or foldable phones.
However, not everything is going to be completely new in the upcoming phone. In fact, Apple is rumored to reintroduce a feature that it ditched in 2017.
The iPhone Ultra could come with Touch ID
Almost all Android smartphones offer three different unlock options: face, pattern, and fingerprint unlock. The availability of multiple options allows you to rely on the fastest and easiest option, depending on your situation. However, things are a bit different on iPhones.
Modern iPhones only support Face ID and passcode unlock. It's not that Apple phones never had the fingerprint unlock mechanism. The company was offering it till the iPhone 8 series, but the iPhone X that was released in 2017 had a new look compared to its predecessors and featured Face ID.
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Basically, Apple replaced the Touch ID with Face ID. It would have been a lot better if, similar to Android devices, both options were present on modern iPhones along with the regular pattern unlock.
The tech giant did continue to offer Touch ID in its budget devices until the iPhone SE 2 that was released in 2020 but abandoned the tech completely with the iPhone SE 3rd Generation that was released in 2022. That said, the good news is that the iPhone Ultra is expected to come with Touch ID instead of Face ID.
Here's why Apple is taking a step back
Apple might be one of the only manufacturers that could undo a hardware change that it did almost a decade ago. It's not that it wants its users to take a trip down memory lane; instead, it's because it doesn't have any choice. The main reason behind this is reportedly the thickness and the internal space constraints of the iPhone Ultra.
You see, the foldable is expected to measure only 4.5 to 4.8 mm in thickness when unfolded. It's difficult for Apple to fit the Face ID components inside such a thin frame.
What would make things nearly impossible is that the foldable would have two displays, meaning the company would have to install two different Face ID components for both displays. This would ultimately mean that the it would require double the overall space. You might now wonder how Apple is able to manage to offer Face ID in the iPhone Air?
The dimensions of the phone are the main factor here. The iPhone Air is 5.6 mm in thickness, which is significantly thinner than the expected thickness of the Ultra. As a result, Face ID could easily be installed in it.
That said, the foldable might have its Touch ID integrated into the power button. Also, the space that has been left in the frame because of the unavailability of Face ID could be used to offer other important tech like a bigger battery.
Which retired feature would you like to see make a comeback in future iPhones?
Known details about the iPhone Ultra
An iPhone Ultra dummy unit. | Image by Sonny Dickson
We're still months away from the release of Apple's first foldable, but a few of its key details have already surfaced online. First of all, it is expected to be smaller, precisely more compact than other foldables in the market, like the Google Pixel Fold.
As mentioned above, it is believed to be around 4.5 mm in thickness when unfolded. Well, if true, it might not be able to beat the 4.2 mm thickness of the Galaxy Z Fold 7, but it will still definitely give a very good in-hand feel. However, Apple might beat Samsung in the battery department.
The upcoming Ultra phone is expected to feature a 5800 mAh battery, according to Jon Prosser of Fpt. This is way bigger than the 4400 mAh that you get in the Fold 7, or the upcoming Fold 8 that is rumored to come with a 5000 mAh cell. Other noticeable features of the iPhone Ultra include a built-in vapor chamber for cooling and the use of a punch hole cutout instead of the Dynamic Island.
Why can't we have all three unlock mechanisms?
Since it was removed, iPhone users have really missed the Touch ID. In fact, a related poll that was included in one of our articles reveals that users really want Apple to reintroduce just any sort of Touch ID; it doesn't matter whether it's in-display or side-mounted. Fortunately, the dream might be fulfilled with the iPhone Ultra.
However, I really can't understand why we have to choose between Face ID and Touch ID. Why can't Apple simply offer both options on their iPhones? Android brands are offering it, so why can't Apple.
Come on, Apple, your flagships are coming at the same price as the top products from your rivals, but still you are compromising on Touch ID. For instance, the recently released Galaxy S26 Ultra features an under-display fingerprint sensor, but the iPhone 17 Pro Max doesn't have anything like that, nor is there any expectation that its successor will address this shortcoming. I really hope the iPhone Ultra is just the beginning and that all future iPhones support both Touch ID and Face ID.
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Aman Kumar is a news writer at PhoneArena covering Google Pixel phones, Android features, AI-powered smartphone tools, and mobile tech news. Before joining PhoneArena, he spent over five years writing about consumer technology for publications like MakeUseOf, How-To Geek, and Guiding Tech. His current daily drivers are the Pixel 10 and Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus, while his red iPhone SE (2nd gen) remains a personal favorite. Aman also appreciates bold smartphone experiments and still considers the Nokia N-Gage one of the industry’s most iconic designs.
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