Apple is quietly moving beyond the familiar book-style foldable concept and experimenting with a flip-style iPhone that folds into a compact square. The project, often described as an iPhone Flip, signals that the company is not content with a single template for flexible screens and is actively weighing a more pocketable approach alongside its first larger foldable. For users, that raises a simple but high-stakes question: will Apple’s entry into foldables feel like a niche experiment or a new default for premium phones?
Early reports point to a company trying to balance engineering risk, design ambition, and market timing all at once. Apple is testing clamshell hardware that prioritizes portability and quick access while also preparing a larger Fold-style device that can open into tablet territory. Taken together, those parallel tracks suggest Apple is treating foldables less as a one-off gadget and more as a long-term product family, even if the exact launch order is still in flux.
What Apple is actually testing
Multiple reports describe Apple working on a compact clamshell iPhone that bends vertically, similar in spirit to existing flip phones but with Apple’s emphasis on slimness and durability. The flip-style prototype is framed as a device focused on portability and pocketability, with the internal display folding shut and an outer screen handling quick interactions, and one report directly connects this work to Friday February details that mention how aggressively Apple is exploring this design. In that context, the project looks less like a speculative lab demo and more like a serious candidate for the company’s early foldable lineup.
At the same time, Apple is reportedly developing a larger book-style device that opens horizontally into a tablet-like canvas, often referred to as an iPhone Fold, which would sit alongside the flip concept rather than replace it. Coverage of these efforts describes Apple as testing a clamshell model dubbed Flip in parallel with a more traditional Fold, and one analysis of the company’s plans says outright that Apple is reportedly the Flip even as its long-term future remains unsettled. That uncertainty is typical for Apple hardware at this stage, but the existence of both formats suggests the company is actively deciding how many foldable form factors it can support without confusing the lineup.
The iPhone Flip, leakers, and the fall Fold
Leaker chatter has added more color to the Flip story, tying it directly to Apple’s broader foldable roadmap. One detailed report attributes fresh information about a flip-style iPhone to Ryan Christoffel, who is explicitly named as “Ryan Christoffel | Feb 13 2026 – 6:58 am PT. 9 Comments,” and links that leak to claims that Ryan Christoffel expects a flip-style iPhone in the future. Those same reports describe Apple’s first foldable iPhone as arriving sooner, with the Flip positioned as a follow-up rather than the opening act.
Across the rumor mill, there is growing alignment that Apple’s first foldable will be a larger book-style device often labeled Fold, with a flip model to come later if the initial launch performs well. One set of leaks even specifies that Apple’s first foldable iPhone is planned for this fall, while a separate report reiterates that Apple has new hardware in the works that would broaden the range later on. That sequencing reads as Apple trying to establish the Fold as a halo product first, then using the Flip as a more approachable, fashion-forward option once the technology and supply chain are proven.
How the Flip fits next to the Fold
From a product strategy perspective, the flip-style iPhone and the larger Fold are clearly aimed at different use cases. The Fold concept is pitched as a device that can open into a small iPad, with one report saying fans expect an iPhone that unfolds into a 7.8 inch tablet and explicitly calling this device Fold, which lines up with speculation that first iPhone Fold will be unveiled around September. That kind of screen size makes sense for multitasking, Apple Pencil style work, and immersive media, but it also means a device that is larger and more expensive than a typical iPhone.
The Flip, by contrast, is framed as a compact companion that keeps a familiar phone-sized display but folds down to reduce its footprint, which is particularly appealing for users who prioritize pocket space or one-handed use. Several reports describe this clamshell as a smaller counterpart to the Fold, and one overview of Apple’s foldable plans explicitly notes that the long-awaited foldable iPhone, rumored to be called Fold, is expected around fall 2026 while long awaited Fold remains Apple’s primary focus. In that context, the Flip comes across as a strategic hedge: a way to reach buyers who like the idea of a foldable but do not want to carry a device that turns into a mini tablet.
Timelines, codenames, and internal hesitation
Under the surface, Apple’s foldable schedule looks ambitious but not fully locked in, and the Flip is at the center of that uncertainty. One detailed breakdown of the company’s work on flexible screens emphasizes that foldable iPhones have been the subject of speculation for years and that Apple is now testing both book-style and flip-style designs, while still leaving room for the possibility that the Flip might never ship if the business case does not hold. That same analysis notes that Apple Tests Flip hardware as part of a broader evaluation of how foldables could fit into its long term lineup.
Another report goes further by tying the project to a specific codename and multi year roadmap, saying Apple is gearing up to unveil its first foldable iPhone, codenamed V68, by 2026 and that the company will kick off a new hardware cycle that could extend into 2027 if early models perform well. In that framing, the Flip is presented as part of a staged rollout in which Apple will kick a new foldable family, then refine the hardware over at least two generations. That reads as a sign that Apple is preparing to live with foldables for the long haul rather than treating them as a one year experiment.
Why a flip iPhone matters for the wider market
For the broader smartphone market, Apple’s interest in a flip-style device could be just as significant as the arrival of the Fold itself. Clamshell foldables from other brands have already shown that many buyers prefer a small, stylish device that snaps shut, and Apple entering that space would instantly validate the format for millions of iPhone users. One analysis of Apple’s foldable strategy even frames the Flip as a way to reach users who care more about portability and pocketability than about turning their phone into a tablet, and that framing aligns with reports that Flip appeal could hinge on how well Apple balances size, battery life, and price.
Apple’s choices here will also influence accessories, software, and even how app developers think about screen continuity across folded and unfolded states. Competing flip phones already inspire cases, wireless charging docks, and camera grips that treat the hinge as a feature rather than a compromise, and Apple’s ecosystem tends to magnify those trends. As the company experiments with different foldable hardware, it is also likely evaluating which configurations work best with existing iOS apps and which might require new design patterns, a process that could eventually surface in new accessories and software features that make the most of the Flip’s compact form.
