Apple's $2,000 Foldable iPhone Ultra May Drop 4 Key Features

Q: Will exclusive iOS 27 multitasking features be enough to distract buyers from the iPhone Ultra's downgraded camera system?

Probably not for mainstream premium buyers, though they could be enough for a narrower group that values the foldable form factor over camera hardware. The case for Apple is real. Reports point to iOS 27 adding fold-specific tools such as side-by-side apps, flexible layouts, app resizability, and framework references like “foldState” and “angleDegrees.” Early hands-on impressions cited by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman say testers were impressed by the iPad-like layouts on the roughly 7.8-inch inner display. On a book-style foldable, that kind of software matters as much as the hardware because it turns the device into a pocketable mini-tablet rather than just an expensive novelty. But the camera downgrade is hard to ignore at a rumored $1,999 to $2,500. The iPhone Ultra is expected to ship with only a 48MP Wide and 48MP Ultra Wide camera, with no Telephoto lens, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max is expected to keep the more capable Pro camera stack. For buyers who use their iPhone as their primary camera, that trade-off will be visible every day in zoom, portraits, and versatility. That leaves Apple with a split audience. Productivity-focused early adopters may accept Touch ID, eSIM-only connectivity, and a weaker camera in exchange for a thin foldable design and exclusive multitasking. Traditional high-end iPhone buyers, however, are likely to compare it directly with the Pro Max and see the foldable as paying more for a new form factor while giving up core flagship features.

3 articles · Updated · MacRumors · Sep 4

$1,999-and-up iPhone Ultra is expected to debut without at least four features available on Apple's iPhone 18 Pro line, despite launching as the company's first foldable flagship.
Thin-design constraints appear to be driving the trade-offs: the foldable is rumored to swap Face ID for a Touch ID side button, use only two rear cameras, and omit the Action button.
The device is also expected to be eSIM-only and may lack mmWave 5G if it uses Apple's in-house C2 modem, potentially limiting it to sub-6GHz networks.
MagSafe now appears likely to make the cut after earlier uncertainty, and Apple is widely expected to unveil the foldable alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models on September 9.
The omissions could prove contentious because the current $1,099 iPhone 17 Pro already includes those features, even before the iPhone 18 Pro's expected $200 to $300 price increase.