Tech fans have been lamenting Apple's slide away from innovation for years, with incremental iPhone and Mac upgrades leaving some users (including this one) yearning for the magic of the company's output during the halcyon days of the iPod. But if recent rumours are to be believed, the folding 'iPhone Ultra', believed to be launching in mere weeks, could recapture some of that spark.
According to everyone's favourite Apple leaker, Mark Gurman, a few lucky users have already been testing the folding iPhone, and initial impressions are positive.
"People who have tried the Apple model like how it fits in a pocket, the feel and durability of the advanced hinge mechanism, and the new iPad-like app layouts that take advantage of the larger internal display," Gurman says.
But apparently there's one "significant omission", and it's one that could be a dealbreaker for creatives. The folding iPhone apparently lacks a telephoto camera, which offers the 'Pro' iPhone models incredible zoom abilities. For a device touted to cost close to £2,000, that seems like a pretty major drawback. As Gurman says, the venn diagram of people who are willing to spend £2k to become an early adopter and people who want the latest and greatest camera tech is "pretty close to a circle".
There are a couple of other expected ommissions which might test the product's rumoured 'Ultra' moniker. One of these is FaceID, with the iPhone Ultra instead rumoured to be falling back on TouchID.
Creatives may end up having to weigh up whether a larger internal display or advanced camera capabilities matter more to them. The former could provide a brilliantly pocketable canvas for digital art. But if it's the latter that matters, the iPhone 18 Pro Max might end up being the one to get – especially if it's cheaper.
