iPHONE FOLD TO BRING IPAD-STYLE MULTITASKING IN APPLE’S 2026 LINEUP

Apple’s long-rumored foldable iPhone is shaping up as a device that sits somewhere between the company’s phone and tablet categories, with software apparently designed to reflect that split identity.

According to the information provided, the iPhone Fold is expected to arrive this September and will introduce an interface that changes meaningfully once the device is unfolded. Open it up, and users would see a layout closer to the iPad than any iPhone that has come before, including support for running two apps side by side on the screen.

That would mark a notable shift for the iPhone. Apple has so far kept true multitasking off the handset, apart from limited features such as picture-in-picture. If this report holds, the iPhone Fold would be the first iPhone to move beyond that boundary in a serious way.

The approach also fits the hardware being described. When closed, the phone is said to resemble a standard slab-style iPhone, with an outer display that behaves much like a conventional Apple handset. When opened, though, it expands to something closer to the size of an iPad mini.

The wider design appears central to Apple’s thinking. Rather than following a taller, narrower shape, the company is reportedly opting for a broader form with a 4:3 aspect ratio. That choice would make side-by-side apps more practical and should also suit video playback and general media use better than a stretched display.

There are other signs that Apple is trying to balance familiarity with compromise. The outer screen is expected to include a hole-punch front camera, while Face ID is said to be absent. In its place, Apple is reportedly using a fingerprint sensor built into the power button. Even without a TrueDepth system, the camera area would still support Dynamic Island features for live activities and notifications.

On the inside, Apple is said to have tested a camera hidden under the display, but abandoned that option because image quality did not meet expectations. A visible hole-punch camera was chosen instead. Around the back, the device is expected to carry a dual-camera system rather than a triple-lens arrangement, with space limitations seemingly dictating that decision.

For software developers, the shift could be just as important as the hardware. Many apps are expected to adopt left-side sidebars, and developers would receive tools to adapt existing apps for the larger unfolded interface. Even so, this will still reportedly be an iPhone running iOS, not an iPad running iPadOS.

That distinction matters. The device may borrow some of the iPad’s visual language, but it is not expected to support the full multitasking range available on Apple’s tablets, nor will it run existing iPadOS apps. In other words, Apple appears to be drawing a careful line between inspiration and overlap.

Price will likely keep the iPhone Fold in a narrow part of the market. At around $2,000, it is expected to become the most expensive iPhone in Apple’s 2026 lineup. That places clear pressure on the device to justify itself not only as a technical showpiece, but as a product with a real everyday purpose.

For now, what stands out most is Apple’s apparent decision to make the foldable iPhone more than a novelty screen experiment. If the reported software design is accurate, the company is trying to make the larger display feel useful from the start, not merely impressive when first opened.