Apple’s upcoming foldable iPhone may still be months away from launch, but the company’s latest software updates appear to offer some of the strongest hints yet about the highly anticipated device.
According to a Bloomberg report, Apple’s newly unveiled iOS 27 and related software platforms contain several references to a foldable iPhone, which is expected to debut alongside the iPhone 18 Pro lineup later this year.
The most direct clues come from hidden code discovered inside the first developer beta of iOS 27. Software researcher M1Astra reportedly identified code strings related to a device’s folded and unfolded state. Internal references like “foldState”, “mechanicalAngleDegrees”, and “angleDegrees” indicate that the Apple software can recognise the position of hinges and calculate the width at which the device is unfolded.
This functionality is similar to what we currently see in Samsung devices, where the software adjusts itself according to whether the phone is partially folded, fully unfolded, or closed.
Other references in iOS 27 show supports the use of multiple displays and hardware. The internal service tools apparently contain references to a secondary display, additional cover glass, and light sensors. These are all characteristics of foldable smartphones.
Apart from hidden code, new features in iOS 27 indicate compatibility with the larger screen sizes of foldable phones.
Apple has introduced full-page widgets in iOS 27. This allows applications like Weather, Music, and News to fill the entire page of the home screen. This feature will definitely work much better with a bigger, foldable screen.
Bloomberg previously reported that Apple’s foldable iPhone is scheduled for launch in September and could start at around $2,000(Rs 190655 approximately). The device is expected to compete directly with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series and other premium foldable smartphones.
While Apple has not officially confirmed the product, the growing number of software clues suggests the company is actively preparing its ecosystem for a new category of hardware.
As Apple enters the foldable smartphone market, iOS 27 may represent the first public glimpse of how the company plans to blend the portability of an iPhone with the larger-screen experience of an iPad.
