CAD drawings supposedly revealing the design of the first folding iPhone indicate the device will sport a very different shape than rival foldable smartphones.
The early Monday leak comes from a reliable source, and the design shown matches earlier reports about the so-called iPhone Fold. So this may well be what the new premium iOS device looks like when it debuts in the fall.
Apple’s foldable iPhone takes shape in new CAD drawings
Despite Apple’s best efforts to keep its upcoming products secret, CAD drawings revealing the upcoming iPhone appear online around March each year. It happened with the iPhone 17, the iPhone 16 and even further back. These reportedly leak out of companies making cases for the handsets, which is why they’re always so accurate.
It seems the cycle is repeating, this time with the folding iPhone that’s been the subject of so many previous leaks. Reputable tipster Sonny Dickson is the source this time. The device is shown from the back while folded, and from the front while open, while a second image shows the handset’s smaller, external screen.
The back includes a wide camera hump, similar to the one on the iPhone Air, except that it includes two cameras. This may be a 48MP Fusion main camera and a 48MP Ultra Wide camera from the iPhone 17.
The CAD drawing of the front of the foldable iPhone shows a front-facing camera, and the same is true for the external screen. This means the device might forgo Face ID, instead putting a Touch ID sensor in one of the side buttons.
On the bottom edge is the expected USB-C port, but only a single speaker.
— Sonny Dickson (@SonnyDickson) March 9, 2026
CAD drawings match leaked design we already tested
The CAD drawings Sonny Dickson just leaked closely match mockups of the foldable iPhone that became available several months ago. Cult of Mac writer D. Griffin Jones tested one of these mockups and pointed out “it’s almost as short as the original iPhone, but wider than the widest iPhone ever” in his hand-on testing.
Rival foldables like the Samsung Galaxy Fold 7 also include a vertical hinge so they open like a book. Apple’s design stands out by being very wide when open.
Leaks from late 2025 indicated that the inner folding screen will measure 7.7 inches. The 5.3-inch outer screen will be usable without opening the clamshell.
Folding iPhone not like foldable Androids
Many people prejudge the folding iPhone based on early, flawed foldable Android devices. These people ignore the fact that Apple must have learned from the mistakes of these devices, which were fragile and included an unsightly crease where the screen folded.
Early reports suggest Apple is focusing heavily on durability for its version, with a refined hinge mechanism, a minimized screen crease and premium materials designed to meet the company’s usual longevity standards.
The first folding iPhone won’t come cheap. It is expected to cost up to $2,000 — or maybe more. ButApple’s strong performance with its latest iPhone 17 models underscores the ongoing consumer appetite for high-end devices.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.
That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)
Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
