Apple’s foldable iPhone will sit between a few products that the company already sells, and it would be hard to justify the use case. We have previously analyzed how the iPad could be a real threat to the foldable iPhone when it comes to productivity and utility. Based on a new dummy-unit comparison, the company could be aiming for something that opens close to iPad mini territory while still folding down into a more familiar phone shape.
The iPad mini Comparison Gives Apple’s Foldable iPhone A Much More Practical Reason To Exist
While the iPad category is a threat to the foldable iPhone, iPad mini users might want to listen closely. Vadim Yuryev’s dummy-unit comparison suggests that the opened device feels almost as large as the iPad mini, with super-thin bezels helping the screen look bigger than you might think.
However, presuming that the company is planning to replace the iPad mini with a foldable iPhone is just wrong. The company just needs to get close enough that reading, gaming, browsing, and watching content stop feeling cramped once the device opens. This is where the device starts making sense, as you get the productivity of a tablet in the size of a phone, a smaller one at that when it’s folded.
The software side of things matters more than we think, as prior reports have stated that users will have the ability to open two iPhone apps side by side. This is exactly the kind of behavior we should be looking forward to if Apple wants to justify the price tag and the larger display. If not, the internal screen would just be extra space or a nice trick, but not a useful upgrade.
iPhone Ultra metal dummy vs iPad mini
Super thin bezels will make the display almost as large. Feels amazing in the hands for playing games like Call of Duty with on-screen controls https://t.co/xIQ9UYuMJJ pic.twitter.com/n9ysR0A1bX
— Vadim Yuryev (@VadimYuryev) April 22, 2026
Next To The iPhone 18 Pro, Apple’s Foldable Starts Looking Like A Much Bigger Leap
When compared against the iPhone 18 Pro lineup, the foldable starts looking like a different device altogether. Yuryev says that when the foldable iPhone is opened, the view basically has the same width as the iPhone 18 Pro Max, but it is 56.9 percent taller, with measurements shown as 71mm versus 111.5mm.
What this means is that the foldable iPhone will not just feel like a stretched iPhone, but will also have a much taller canvas, which could make a real difference for video, gaming, multitasking, and general use.
Other than this, the same dummy units of the iPhone 18 Pro appear to be slightly thicker than the iPhone 17 Pro Max. This is because both the camera plateau and the camera lenses are expected to protrude further than they do on the current model. Yuryev’s numbers put total camera thickness at 13.77mm on the iPhone 18 Pro Max versus 12.92mm on the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
iPhone Ultra open display vs 17 Pro Max
Basically the same display width, but 56.9% taller display when comparing this view.
71mm vs 111.5mm
16:9 video will be a bit more immersive. Gaming will be AWESOME! https://t.co/vcG8LfJCwV pic.twitter.com/ICeUX0w4Od
— Vadim Yuryev (@VadimYuryev) April 22, 2026
So while the foldable looks more ambitious when opened, the iPhone 18 Pro Max may still be the chunkier device in everyday use due to the upgraded camera setup. The foldable iPhone will possibly launch this year, with some rumors claiming that the launch will stretch until Spring of next year. Let us know what you think down in the comments.
Leave A Reply