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Open the device, and suddenly it stops behaving like an iPhone.
That is the idea reportedly guiding Apple’s long‑rumored foldable phone. Instead of simply stretching the same interface across two screen sizes, Apple appears to be planning something far more dramatic: a complete shift in how the device behaves once the screen unfolds.
According to recent reporting from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the upcoming foldable iPhone may transform its interface into something that feels much closer to an iPad when opened. Not just a bigger phone screen. A different experience altogether.
Most foldable phones today follow a simple rule. Open or closed, the operating system stays largely the same. Samsung’s foldables stretch One UI across both displays. Google’s Pixel Fold does something similar with Android. The apps expand, but the philosophy stays phone‑first.
Apple, it seems, wants to break that pattern.
Two Modes, Two Personalities
When the device is folded shut, the outer display reportedly behaves like a typical iPhone. Familiar layout. Standard apps. Nothing surprising.
Unfold it, though, and the software may switch gears completely. The inner screen is expected to adopt an iPad‑inspired interface designed for wider space. Think side‑by‑side apps running simultaneously, navigation sidebars anchored to the left edge, and layouts that resemble iPad apps in landscape orientation.
That alone would mark a major change for iOS. No iPhone to date has officially supported two apps running next to each other on screen. Multitasking has always been reserved for iPadOS. A foldable iPhone could quietly introduce that capability to the phone lineup for the first time.
Apple is also said to be updating its own built‑in apps to take advantage of the wider canvas. Mail, Notes, Files, and other core apps may gain persistent sidebars similar to their iPad counterparts, giving users quicker access to folders, threads, and tools without leaving the main view.
Developers would receive new frameworks allowing their existing iPhone apps to adapt to the larger unfolded layout. Instead of forcing developers to build separate tablet apps, Apple could allow many apps to scale naturally into the new format.
The Screen Shape Matters More Than You Think
The rumored inner display is expected to measure around 7.8 inches with a 4:3 aspect ratio. That number may sound familiar. It sits almost exactly in the territory of the iPad mini.
That design choice appears intentional.
Many current foldable phones use tall, narrow inner displays. They work well for scrolling but can feel awkward for multitasking. Place two apps side by side and each one ends up squeezed into a thin column.
A wider 4:3 screen solves that problem. Apps gain breathing room. Documents become easier to read. Videos feel more natural instead of letterboxed into narrow frames.
In other words, Apple may be designing the hardware specifically to support the software experience it wants to build.
Still, this does not mean the device will run iPadOS. Gurman reports that the foldable phone will rely on a modified version of iOS rather than a full platform switch. Users should expect iPad‑like interface features rather than the complete tablet operating system.
That distinction matters. Advanced windowed multitasking like what exists on modern iPads may not appear here. Instead, Apple seems focused on streamlined split‑screen layouts optimized for a foldable device.
If the reports are accurate, Apple’s first foldable iPhone could arrive as soon as September, launching alongside the iPhone 18 Pro lineup. Pricing rumors hover around the $2,000 mark, which would easily make it the most expensive iPhone the company has ever released.
Expensive, yes. But if Apple truly blends a phone and an iPad into one seamless device, the company may be betting that the experience feels less like a gimmick and more like the future of mobile computing.
Source: phandroid
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