Rumoured iPhone fold size – concept drawing and renders

OK so I've been slightly obsessed with the size of the upcoming iPhone fold since it was rumoured that the outer screen would be 5.5" and I wanted to know how it compared to my beloved iPhone mini.

One article the other day suggested an exact resolution and sizes for screens so that let me sketch out the device, using these as a fix and working my way outwards. I've done two or three versions of this over the last month and this is my latest, based on all the collated rumours with a little bit of artistic licence. Apologies, there's a lot of images here. I don't expect it will look exactly like this, but I think I got the size pretty close now.

Animated gif comparing a 16 pro max silhouette and 13 mini silhouette:

Assorted comparisons with a 15 Pro max and 12 mini (the only two other 3D models I had to hand) -

Closed:

Open:

Stacked:

(note the need for a sharp corner on the left edge to accommodate the opening screen - bad luck left handed users)

Assorted shots:

A midnight colourway test:

Some animated renders:

EDIT:

a mock-up of the device with a keyboard in a 'laptop' orientation and an aluminium camera bump since that's been seen in some of the recent dummy models:

EDIT 2:

I was asked to do a quick comparison with an iPad mini, which makes a lot of sense. I don't know why I didn't think of it before (I know why - I'm just iPhone mini obsessed) I decided to line it up with the screen on the bottom left corner, because it turns out this rumoured fold is a fair bit smaller than an iPad mini and screen size is probably what people are most interested in.

Although the overall size of this iPad mini is 195.4mm x 134.8mm, I can't vouch for the exact precision of the modelling of its screen size, since I just grabbed it off the internet. None-the-less, in this model the iPad mini screen is 16.5mm wider and 2.9mm taller than the screen in my iPhone fold mock-up.

Yeah that's a good point, there's bound to be a bunch of buggy apps at launch! The aspect ratios probably match an iPad more than an iPhone, so a dev that's targets both iPad and iPhone on their app is probably in a better position.

btw, @deuxani as requested.

I did it a while ago but tbh I was waiting for another fold-related news article.

The sizes of my old drawing and renders were actually pretty close - this is only different by a couple of millimetres.

I think with knowing the exact screen resolutions along with screen sizes, I'm relatively confident about the size of this now (well disregarding the completely invented hinge)

Your renders give such a good and realistic impression of what this device might actually look like and what the size will be in comparison to devices we know in the real world. Thanks a lot for all the effort, it takes so much time to make these and it’s much appreciated!

I’m really curious to see how Apple is going to solve this software wise. Especially the front screen might be weird. But these rumors get me excited again about new iPhones.

No problem at all, glad my own obsessiveness helped you out!

The aspect ratio of this thing probably matches an iPad pretty well (although a lot smaller on the front screen)

Apps that work for both iPad and iPhone might be relatively simple to update - but we'll see!

My biggest takeaway from these renders is how we can finally easily access the top of the folding iPhone screen. This is something that truly annoys me daily about all iPhones. (It's worse of course on the Max models.) It's impossible for me to reach the top quarter of my Pro Max without shifting my hands entirely. This folding model will solve that. Just about anyone can reach any part of that folded outer screen.

Plus we will have such a wide device folded that it will make two-thumb typing a dream. (The main reason I use a PM is the wider screen makes for easier typing, for me at least.)

It will also be so nice to have a proper wide rectangle to look at and navigate when opened. Right now we are all stuck using tall and relatively narrow iPhone screens. This will change all that.

Closed aspect ratio gives me flashbacks to the third gen iPod nano, I like it. Something different.

Seeing it in renders like that has definitely made me more interested. I too was a 12 and 13 mini owner and miss that small form factor.

This is fairly close with an additional big advantage.

Also don’t suppose you have a link or name to that wallpaper by any chance please?! 🙏

Yeah it's going to be really wide, but I really hope that it will feel 'stable' - like it won't topple out of my fingers, even if I can't grip the sides well.

Maybe I should get it 3D printed to get a feel for it

The wallpaper is just the default one for macOS Monterey - I like purple!

You would hold it like an iPad. Those are iPad dimensions. Looks perfect to me.

Do we call this an iPhad???

I swear these foldables should resurrect the iBook trademark

Im not sure . Given the prehension needed to use that wide aspect ratio, you might not actually be able to reach the top with your thumb