As the release date for iOS 26 approaches this fall, development for iOS 27 is set to begin. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Guman, iOS 27 will have a particular device in mind: the folding iPhone.
Reports have stated that Apple is planning to release the folding iPhone next year, and Gurman’s latest report indicates that it’s on track–committing iOS 27 development to the device indicates confidence that the company can reach its goal. Gurman does not offer specifics as to what iOS 27 can do to take advantage of a folding iPhone, but knowing that Apple is doing so is reassurance that this new iPhone will do more than simply fold and unfold.
Gurman does say, however, that the folding iPhone “won’t be the innovation breakthrough that we’re used to” from Apple. Gurman’s comment is based on the impact of Apple’s past successes and the current state of the seven-year-old folding phone market, in which Gurman reasons that Samsung has already done the hard work of establishing a market. But it still seems like an odd thing to say about a product that doesn’t exist yet and no one outside of Apple has seen.
It’s unclear how Apple will unveil the folding features. It typically announces new iOS features at WWDC in June followed by the new iPhone in September. However, Apple will likely hold back features related to the folding iPhone until its unveiling.
Last week, analyst Ming-Chi Ku reported that Apple solved the major issue it had with a folding iPhone: it figured out how to get rid of the fold crease. Keep track of the developments of the folding iPhone in our folding iPhone superguide.
Author: Roman Loyola, Senior Editor, Macworld
Roman is a Macworld Senior Editor with over 30 years of experience covering the tech industry, focusing on the Mac and other products in the Apple ecosystem. He is also the host of the Macworld Podcast. His career started at MacUser, where he received Apple certification as a repair technician (when Apple did that kind of thing). He's also worked for MacAddict, MacLife, and TechTV.