With Apple’s first foldable iPhone expected to open like a book, one leak has added fuel to previous claims that it is also testing a clamshell-like iPhone.
Rumors continue to say that Apple will release the first iPhone Fold in the fall of 2026, with the book-like design matching popular foldable devices 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 Chinese social network Weibo, he claims that Apple could follow suit. But it’s too early to know if the phone will ever hit the market.
Apple has reportedly not yet decided whether the phone will go into mass testing.
A known rumor
This is not the first time that the idea of a so-called iPhone Flip has appeared. Some of the early rumors suggested that this would be the route Apple would take – and were backed up by even earlier patents from a decade ago.
Lately Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple is still considering an iPhone that folds like a clamshell.
While a book-style folding device can turn a phone into something the size of a tablet, the alternative is also an attractive option. Clamshell folding devices can turn something the size of the iPhone 17 Pro Max into something that can easily fit in a pocket, for example.
Such a device would also have an external display, ideal for displaying notifications. It could also join the iOS widget ecosystem and offer insightful data from your favorite apps.
Despite its usefulness, Gurman was also keen to point out that Apple may eventually decide against a clamshell iPhone. Apple will likely wait to see what kind of reception its first foldable iPhone gets before moving forward with the next one.
Apple’s foldable isn’t the only iPhone expected to debut in fall 2026. The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are also expected to break cover, with the iPhone 18 expected to wait until spring 2027.