With Apple's first foldable iPhone expected to open like a book, one leaker has added fuel to previous claims that it's also testing a clamshell-like iPhone to go with it.
Rumors continue to say that Apple will release the first iPhone Fold in fall 2026, with the book-like design matching popular foldables already on the market. Companies like Samsung and Motorola also offer clamshell designs, similar to the iconic flip phones of the early 2000s.
Now, in a post on the Weibo Chinese social network, leaker Fixed Focus Digital claims that Apple could follow suit. But it's too early to know whether the phone will ever make its way to market.
Apple has reportedly yet to decide whether the phone will make its way to mass production testing.
A familiar rumor
This isn't the first time that the idea of a so-called iPhone Flip has been mooted. Some of the earliest rumors suggested it would be the route Apple would take — and they were backed up by even earlier patents from a decade ago too.
More recently, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple was still considering an iphone that folds like a clamshell.
While a book-like foldable can turn a phone into something the size of a tablet, the alternative is also an attractive option. Clamshell foldables can turn something the size of an iPhone 17 Pro Max into something that easily slips into a pocket, for example.
Such a device would also have an external display, perfect for displaying notifications. It could also hook into the iOS widgets ecosystem, offering glanceable data from your favorite apps.
Despite its utility, Gurman was also keen to point out that Apple may ultimately decide against a clamshell iPhone. Apple is likely to wait to see what kind of reception its first foldable iPhone receives before progressing with another.
Apple's foldable isn't the only iPhone expected to debut in fall 2026. The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max should also break cover, with the iPhone 18 expected to wait until a spring 2027 release window.
