iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone Fold Release Date, Specs, Features, Price and More

Apple is about to reshape the smartphone market. According to industry analyst Jeff Pu, the company's long-anticipated foldable iPhone will finally debut this September, sharing the revolutionary A20 Pro chip with the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max — signalling the dawn of a new era in mobile computing.

The move marks a dramatic shift in Apple's product strategy. Rather than launching the entire iPhone 18 lineup simultaneously, the tech giant will stagger releases, with the standard iPhone 18 and more affordable iPhone 18e models not arriving until spring 2027. This deliberate split strategy underscores Apple's confidence in its premium foldable, even as the company refines its broader smartphone portfolio.

Engineering at Its Finest

The real story here isn't just about new devices — it's about the semiconductor breakthrough powering them. The A20 Pro represents a monumental leap in mobile processing, leveraging TSMC's cutting-edge 2nm process, known as N2. The performance gains are staggering: the chip promises up to 15% faster speeds and 30% greater energy efficiency compared to its predecessor, the A19.

The A20 Pro's engineering sophistication lies in its use of TSMC's innovative Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module (WMCM) packaging technology. This technology integrates 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM directly onto the same wafer as the CPU, GPU and Neural Engine, unlike the conventional approach of mounting RAM separately and connecting it via a silicon interposer. This architectural redesign improves Apple Intelligence features, battery longevity and chip dimensions, freeing up space for other components.

The N2 process introduces another layer of refinement through new super-high-performance metal-insulator-metal (SHPMIM) capacitors in the chip's power delivery system. These capacitors more than double the capacitance density of previous generations whilst reducing both sheet resistance and via resistance by 50% — technical specifications that translate into superior power stability, elevated performance and enhanced energy efficiency across all three devices.

Apple's Bold Bet on Foldable Displays

Apple's foldable represents a fundamental reimagining of the smartphone form factor. The device will feature a distinctive wide, book-style folding design that prioritises productivity over compact portability. Unfolded, users encounter a sprawling 7.8-inch inner display — essentially a pocket-sized tablet. When folded, the 5.5-inch outer screen functions as a conventional iPhone interface, allowing for calls, messages and quick photographs without unfolding the device.

The engineering challenge of creating two functional displays while maintaining unprecedented thinness has been solved through meticulous attention to detail. The iPhone Fold will measure an astounding 4.5mm thick when unfolded — thinner than today's standard iPhones — yet between 9mm and 9.5mm when closed, necessary to accommodate the dual-screen architecture and complex hinge mechanism. This achievement alone showcases Apple's commitment to perfecting the form factor rather than rushing an incomplete product to market.

Virtually crease-free display technology represents the most significant consumer-facing advancement. Using laser-drilled metal plates and liquid metal hinge engineering, Apple has reportedly cracked a problem that has plagued competitors for years. The metal plate disperses and controls the stress generated by bending, resulting in what analysts describe as a seamless visual experience at any viewing angle — a far cry from the visible creases on rival devices like Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7.

For authentication, Apple has made a practical design choice by incorporating Touch ID in the side button rather than Face ID. This decision reflects the reality of foldable use: the device's orientation constantly shifts depending on whether it's folded or unfolded, making facial recognition unreliable. Touch ID's consistent reliability regardless of holding position makes it the obvious engineering solution.

What Connects the Fold, Pro and Pro Max

All three premium devices arriving this September share a remarkable degree of technical commonality. Beyond the A20 Pro chip, they're equipped with identical 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and Apple's C2 modem — the company's next-generation connectivity solution. The rear camera specification, too, is unified: all three devices feature 48-megapixel rear cameras, providing flagship-level photographic capability across Apple's premium tier.

This standardisation reflects a maturation in Apple's component strategy. Rather than reserving advanced specifications exclusively for the most expensive models, the company is democratising flagship features across its premium range. The iPhone Fold, despite its revolutionary form factor, receives the same camera and RAM configuration as its slab-style counterparts — a decision that emphasises functional parity over artificial differentiation.

The iPhone 18 Pro models themselves inherit the foldable's powerful silicon while adding display sophistication of their own. The iPhone 18 Pro carries a 6.3-inch display with LTPO OLED technology and 120Hz refresh rates, whilst the Pro Max commands a larger 6.9-inch screen — both featuring Apple's refined Dynamic Island. These displays represent the maturation of iPhone design language, combining elegance with functional density.

What This Means for Users

The arrival of three flagship devices sharing the A20 Pro chip signals an inflection point. Apple Intelligence — the company's suite of on-device AI features — will finally receive the raw computational power it demands. Faster processing speeds, superior energy efficiency and dedicated neural acceleration will transform how users interact with everyday tasks, from photo editing to document analysis.

For productivity professionals, the iPhone Fold's expanded canvas offers genuine utility. Content creation workflows, document review, and multitasking scenarios that felt cramped on conventional six-inch displays suddenly become viable on a seven-inch-plus unfolded interface. This isn't incremental improvement — it's category expansion.

Battery endurance, too, should improve noticeably. The 30% efficiency gain from N2 architecture, combined with the WMCM packaging innovation, means users will experience extended runtime without meaningful thickness increases. For professionals balancing premium features with realistic daily usage demands, this balance proves genuinely valuable.

The deliberate staggering of the iPhone 18 base and iPhone 18e models to spring 2027 creates a fascinating market dynamic. Premium consumers interested in foldable innovation or flagship performance can purchase immediately, whilst budget-conscious buyers can wait for the entry-level options — a strategy that optimises manufacturing capacity and prevents cannibalisation across price tiers.