Apple’s iOS 27 and related software updates provide the clearest public signals yet about the company’s future foldable iPhone, with references to flexible hardware and new features designed for larger, adaptable screens.
The device, which should inaugurate a new format in the iPhone line, about to turn 20 years old, is scheduled for launch in September, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro family, according to Bloomberg News. The starting price should be around US$2,000, putting the model in competition with foldables from Samsung Electronics and other manufacturers.
Now, a series of clues in the newly announced software and features indicate that Apple has been accelerating work on the product as its debut approaches.
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Files hidden in the first beta version of iOS 27 for developers, discovered by software researcher M1Astra and shared with Bloomberg, include snippets of code linked to identifying when a device is folded or open.
One of the mechanisms is internally called “foldState”. There are also entries with the names “mechanicalAngleDegrees” and “angleDegrees”, which suggests that the software can determine the degree of opening of the device around the hinge.
The operating system also features indicators linked to an Apple service tool used to repair iPhone screens. Within iOS 27, this utility mentions a secondary screen, a second cover glass and two additional light sensors.
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The public version of iOS 27 also includes several features that seem to fit well on a foldable device.
Some widgets, for example, can now take up an entire page on the iPhone, allowing apps like Music, News, and Weather to fill the entire home screen. The design would be particularly useful on a foldable iPhone, whose larger screen can accommodate side-by-side panels.
In macOS 27 Golden Gate, Apple updated the iPhone Mirroring feature to allow a connected phone to be resized to iPad-sized layouts. THE Bloomberg had already informed that support for sizes similar to those of the tablet would be an important part of the experience of using the foldable iPhone.
During a presentation to developers known as Platforms State of the Union, Apple also highlighted a concept called app adaptability. The idea is to help developers create software that works on a wider range of screen sizes and aspect ratios.
“Now, instead of designing for specific devices and orientations, you are designing for a dynamic range of sizes and aspect ratios,” the company said during the session.
These clues appear in Apple’s latest operating systems because the software is already being prepared for future hardware products. Similar signs also point to new wearable devices with cameras, such as AirPods and smart glasses.
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The Vision Pro’s new operating system, for example, includes the ability to recognize and analyze real-world objects around the user — a function in line with Apple’s work in the wearables category.
© 2026 Bloomberg L.P.
