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Tom’s Guide
Tom’s Guide
Technology
John Velasco

iPhone Fold dummy unit leaks and I’m not sure how I feel about this design — here’s why

IPhone Fold dummy in magenta with two iPhones nearby.

It looks like the first dummy unit purportedly of the iPhone Fold has leaked, and I’m still trying to process what I’m looking at. The image comes to us courtesy of leaker and journalist Sonny Dickson, who shared it on Bluesky flanked by what appear to be dummy units for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.

These match up with the previous 3D mockup that surfaced late last year, followed by 3D renders that were later also shared by Dickson. This dummy unit, finished in a deep magenta shade, shows an unconventional aspect ratio — one that closely reminds me of the first-gen Pixel Fold and the ill-fated Microsoft Surface Duo.

This wide foldable dummy unit appears to maintain its rectangular shape when unfolded, suggesting a wider stance than the narrower profiles of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Anyone who’s been following iPhone Fold rumors shouldn’t be surprised, but it still looks a bit strange to me. Here’s why.

It’s giving off Phone 16e vibes

Exclusive First Dummies of what the final size of the iPhone Fold, iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will look like.

— @sonnydickson.bsky.social (@sonnydickson.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2026-04-07T16:35:40.489Z

Right away, I’m drawn to the image showing the back of the foldable iPhone. While the design matches up with the previous 3D mockup and renders — complete with a dual-camera setup that’s raised from the rest of the chassis — there’s one obvious thing missing.

I’m referring to the lack of the distinguishable ring found on the back of the iPhone 18 Pro models, which leads me to believe it’s going the iPhone 16e route and skipping MagSafe connectivity. This would be a big setback because of how Apple has built up an ecosystem around its wireless charging standard — and I’m not just referring to the best 3-in-1 MagSafe chargers I test daily.

Without MagSafe, I wouldn’t be able to use all the accessories I’ve come to rely on, like my MagSafe wallet and power bank that doubles as a retro gaming handheld. Yes, I imagine Apple might already have a MagSafe case in the works specifically for it, but I’m bummed it’s not natively available based on this dummy unit.

iOS 27 is going to need to be dynamic

(Image credit: Future)

Even though the front of the dummy unit reveals less about the iPhone Fold — like the placement of its internal selfie camera and Face ID sensors — it does give us an idea of how the main display could look when unfolded. My iPhone 17 Pro has a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, so it would definitely take some getting used to using the iPhone Fold in both its open and closed states.

Naturally, this new aspect ratio suggests that iOS 27 will need to be dynamic to support this new form factor — especially when switching to the larger inner display, which is rumored to be a 7.8-inch panel. App developers will need to optimize layouts to accommodate the shift from a small screen to a much larger one and vice versa.

Although a wide foldable like this might feel a bit unusual, I’m eager to see how Apple pulls off multitasking. Frankly, it would be a first for the iPhone, given how the current implementation is limited to app switching rather than true multitasking.

For comparison, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 can currently run up to four apps simultaneously. With WWDC 2027 tipped for June, it may shed more light on how Apple plans to enhance its mobile software for different form factors.

It might solve my biggest problem with current foldables

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

At the very least, this new aspect ratio could solve one of the most annoying issues with using notebook-style foldable phones: watching video content. Historically, these larger main displays have been plagued by those annoying black bars on the top and bottom.

While there’s no escaping them on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Pixel 10 Pro Fold, this iPhone Fold dummy suggests it might be more suitable for media consumption. There might still be some dead space on the iPhone Fold, but it likely wouldn’t be as distracting.

Despite reports of mass production starting in July for the iPhone Fold, engineering issues could delay shipments by months. While previous rumors indicated a reveal could be planned for December, those same hurdles might push the launch into 2027.



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