Why Apple’s Foldable (iPhone Ultra) Will Finally Make You Want One (From a Full-Time Foldable User)

As someone who has spent the last few years jumping between almost every major foldable on the market, from early Galaxy Folds to the ultra-thin Honor Magic V lineup, the compact Oppo Find N series, the Google’s Pixel Folds and even the wide passport-sized Galaxy Z Fold8, I get asked the exact same question at least once a month:

“Are foldable phones actually ready for regular people, or is it just an expensive gimmick?”

My honest answer used to be a conditional “it depends.” Foldables have been incredible engineering feats for years, but they’ve largely remained trapped in enthusiast land. Most casual buyers still look at them across a coffee shop table, spot the visible crease or the bulky hinge, and decide to stick with their trusty slab iPhone.

That dynamic is about to shift permanently. With Apple’s long-rumored entry into foldables expected to make its debut this Thursday morning (1AM Malaysia GMT+8 time), the folding phone is about to cross the bridge from “cool geek gadget” to “the standard everyone wants.”

Here is why Apple entering the foldable game will change everything even if you personally have no intention of buying an iPhone.

What I’ve Loved (and Hated) Living with the Android Foldable Kings

Before we credit Apple with mainstreaming the category, respect has to go to the Android trailblazers. Using these devices as my primary daily drivers over the years proved to me that folding displays are the future of mobile computing:

• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Series: Samsung built the productivity benchmark. Having a persistent bottom taskbar and effortless three-app split-screen layout meant I could review a quarterly PDF while referencing a spreadsheet and taking notes during a transit delay without reaching for my laptop. For many, Samsung has the best software and UI for a foldable smartphone.
• Honor Magic V Series: Pure hardware wizardry. Honor proved a book-style foldable doesn’t have to feel like carrying two bricks strapped together. Slipping an ultra-slim Magic V into a jeans pocket feels almost indistinguishable from a standard flagship phone. And the best achievement is, Honor foldable has the highest level of durability you can expect on a smartphone, matching the best slab smartphone.
• Oppo Find N Series: Ergonomic bliss. Oppo was one of the first to figure out outer screen proportions, giving us a device that felt delightfully natural to hold and use one-handed without unfolding it every single time.
• Google Pixel Fold Series: Software harmony and camera trust. Google was the first to nailed the passport form factor and delivered respectable Pixel photography on a canvas wide enough that side-by-side apps didn’t feel squished.

Yet, despite all this brilliant engineering, everyday adoption still hit a wall. Most non-tech friends remained hesitant, terrified of screen fragility or app glitches.

1. Apple Doesn’t Do “First”. They Set the Baseline

If you’ve paid attention to tech history, you know the drill. Apple rarely invents new device categories from scratch. Digital audio players existed long before the iPod, smartwatches were around for years before the Apple Watch, and wireless Bluetooth headsets were clunky corporate accessories before AirPods turned them into a universal lifestyle staple.

Credit: Jon Prosser / FrontPageTech

When Samsung or Google launch a foldable, it excites tech reviewers and early adopters. But when Apple launches one, it creates an immediate permission structure for the average consumer. Suddenly, unfolding your phone at a dinner table stops feeling like an experimental risk and starts feeling like the normal, expected way a modern smartphone behaves.

2. The Preemptive Ripple Effect on Competitors

You can tell just how much weight Apple carries in supply chain circles by looking at how rival brands react months before an iPhone even reaches store shelves.

For years, Samsung stuck doggedly to its tall, narrow outer screen ratio on the Fold series. But as leaks confirmed Apple was building a squatter, passport-style foldable with a wide 4:3 inner canvas, the market pivoted. Samsung quickly adjusted its design strategy, introducing a wider form factor for its recent Galaxy Z Fold lineup specifically to get ahead of Cupertino’s launch. and recently, Xiaomi showcase at IFA 2026 it’s wide foldable in Xiaomi 18 Fold, which is set to launch on 7 September 2026, just 2 days before Apple.

credit : Xiaomi

When the pioneer of a category changes its multi-year hardware blueprint just to match rumored Apple specifications, it proves Apple sets the industry baseline before day one.

3. They Waited Until the Big Complaints Were Solved

I still remember sitting at an outdoor cafe enjoying my Matcha tea during a sudden afternoon downpour a couple of years back, frantically scrambling to wrap my early OPPO foldable in a napkin because the hinge had zero dust or water protection ratings. The anxiety was real.

By holding back until 2026, Apple gets to skip that awkward growing-pains phase. The supply chain has finally matured to a point where the major deal-breakers are addressed:

• Minimal Crease Concerns: Display suppliers have developed structural glass sandwiches and optical cushion adhesives that smooth out the center dip, making screen creases virtually unnoticeable during daily viewing.
• Legitimate Dust and Water Protection: Moving from basic water protection to proper IP ratings means users no longer have to treat a two-thousand-dollar device like a delicate glass egg.
• Sleek Thickness: Advances in titanium framing and ultra-dense battery layouts allow foldable chassis to stay remarkably thin folded, eliminating the old “pocket bulge” argument.

(Image credit: Majin Bu on X)

Also based on the recent leak of the new iPhone Ultra, it shows that Apple moved the volume buttons to the top part, while the power button remain at the right side of the device. 1 month with Galaxy Z Fold8, I think it’s a smart move to not having all button rockers at the same side. I find it trouble to take screenshots via hardware button when the device is unfolded. It’s too far for my both hand to be there, and it’s almost impossible to use one hand to press all 2 buttons at once.

4. App Developers Will Finally Optimization Seriously

Software optimization has been my biggest point of frustration as a full-time foldable user. While Samsung and and other Android manufacturer have written clever multi-tasking features, hundreds of popular third-party apps still struggle on folding screens, leaving you with stretched smartphone layouts, awkward side margins, or broken camera viewfinders.

That changes the moment iOS gets a folding canvas. Because iOS users consistently represent higher app subscription revenues, developers prioritize iOS feature updates above almost everything else. When Apple introduces dual-screen UI guidelines, app creators will rush to build bespoke, multi-window experiences.

And here’s the best part for Android fans: as global developers rewrite their apps for dual-screen iOS interfaces, those design patterns inevitably carry over to Android builds. It lifts the entire software ecosystem universally.

5. Production Scale Will Drive Prices Down for Everyone

There’s no hiding from the initial price tag: Apple’s first foldable will be an ultra-premium luxury device starting north of $2,000.

So how does an expensive phone bring foldables to the masses? Scale.

When Apple commits to buying tens of millions of flexible OLED panels, component manufacturers are forced to expand factory capacity and optimize manufacturing yields dramatically. As production costs plunge over the subsequent 18 to 24 months, those savings trickle down across the entire component industry. That is what will allow Android brands to ship high-quality, durable foldables under the $800 mark in the near future.

The Bottom Line

Having used foldables as my primary phones for years, I can tell you that going back to a plain glass slab feels like using a small monitor after getting used to a ultrawide desktop setup. You simply miss the screen real estate the second it’s gone.

Android manufacturers deserve immense credit for enduring the difficult early years and doing the heavy lifting. But Apple’s arrival isn’t the beginning of the foldable story, it’s the moment the technology matures. Five years from now, unfolding your phone to read an article, edit a document, or stream a video won’t mark you as a tech enthusiast. It will just be how we use phones.