New iPhone spotted in the wild with redesigned camera module; Apple foldable confirmed for 2026 at $2,000+
Jul 29, 2025
Key Points
- Apple confirms entry into foldables in 2026 at $2,000+, using Samsung's OLED screens and design without technological breakthroughs, betting on brand perception to pull forward upgrade cycles from iPhone loyalists.
- A wild photo of the next iPhone shows a redesigned camera module with repositioned flash and expanded lidar, though whether Apple eliminates the camera bump remains unclear due to protective casing.
- Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7 achieves mainstream viability with flat folding, wider front screen, and IP76 rating, outselling its predecessor as Apple enters a market the company has dominated for seven years.
Summary
A photo circulating online shows the next iPhone with a redesigned camera module featuring a repositioned flash, expanded lidar scanner, and possibly a flatter profile. Mark Gurman considers the image credible, though whether Apple is eliminating the camera bump or testing with protective casing remains unclear. The camera bump has long been a deliberate trade-off. Apple prioritizes optical quality, focal length, and sensor depth over industrial design simplicity. Flattening the phone entirely would require thicker bezels, worse photos, or a significantly thicker device, none of which align with how consumers actually behave. Users claim to want thinner phones and longer battery life, yet accept daily charging and treat the bump as acceptable friction.
Apple is entering the foldable category in 2026 at $2,000 and up. Samsung has owned this market for seven years. Apple's first foldable will use Samsung's foldable OLED screens, adopt a similar design to the Galaxy Z Fold line, and offer no radically new interface or hardware. Samsung's Z Fold 7 folds flat with a refined hinge, wider front screen, and IP76 rating. Sales are outpacing the prior generation significantly.
Apple's advantage is not engineering but consumer perception. The company excels at marketing premium hardware and faces pent-up demand from iPhone loyalists unwilling to switch to Android for a foldable. The $2,000+ price point positions it as a status device, potentially pulling forward upgrade cycles from users who have stretched replacements to two or three years. Even if the underlying technology mirrors Samsung's, the novelty and form-factor shift could drive immediate purchases.
Apple will differentiate through refinement: reducing inner display crease visibility, improving the hinge mechanism, and tailoring iOS 27 with foldable-specific software features. This addresses long-standing category weaknesses rather than inventing new ones. The foldable format is already established and popular in China, where Apple has struggled. The company recently closed its first-ever retail store in China, signaling broader erosion of iPhone status appeal in that market. A foldable could help reverse that decline.