Apple’s most expensive iPhone might also be its most honest vanity purchase yet. That’s basically the takeaway from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who sat down with Tom’s Guide to talk through everything we need to know about the iPhone Ultra ahead of its expected announcement next week. And look, Gurman knows his Apple stuff. So when he says this phone is an “ultimate status symbol” more than a productivity tool, you probably want to pay attention.
As reported by Android Headlines, Gurman confirmed the display specs that he’s been covering in his Power On newsletter for a while now. The iPhone Ultra has a 5.5-inch outer display and a 7.8-inch inner foldable display. That inner screen puts it just under the size of an iPad mini, which is genuinely wild to think about as something you carry in your pocket. The outer display sounds small for a modern iPhone, but Gurman says it might actually feel bigger in the hand because it’s wider than a standard iPhone. We’ll believe that when we hold one.
There are some spec decisions that are harder to spin positively, though. Face ID is out. Gurman isn’t devastated by this, and argues that Touch ID works well and some people actually prefer it. Fair point. But the missing telephoto camera? That one stings. Gurman himself called it a potential dealbreaker for some buyers. And he’s right. Dropping a telephoto lens on a phone that costs more than any iPhone before it is a strange call from Apple, no matter how you frame it.
On the software side, the multitasking story is interesting but tempered. Don’t expect the full desktop-style window management Apple brought to the iPad Pro. The iPhone Ultra will do better than a regular iPhone, but it’s not trying to replace your laptop. Gurman is pretty clear that Apple hasn’t positioned this as a computer replacement. So if you were dreaming of ditching your MacBook for a foldable iPhone, pump the brakes.
Which brings us to the big question: who actually buys this thing? Gurman’s answer is refreshingly blunt. People who want it, not people who need it. The iPhone Ultra makes real compromises on specs compared to what you’d expect at this price point, and Gurman doesn’t think the productivity case is strong enough to justify the premium for most people. He points out that between an iPad, a laptop, and a regular iPhone, you’ve already got your bases covered.
Here’s what makes all of this significant. Apple entering the foldable market is a huge deal for the whole industry. Samsung, Google, and others have been competing in this space for years, and Apple’s arrival shifts the conversation. But if even Gurman, one of Apple’s most reliable insiders, is describing the first iPhone Ultra as a status buy rather than a must-have tool, that tells you something about where Apple is placing this product. It’s a first-gen foldable at a luxury price. Some people will absolutely love it for exactly that reason. Others will stick with the iPhone 18 Pro Max and spend the difference on literally anything else.
Key specs confirmed so far:
- 5.5-inch outer display
- 7.8-inch inner foldable display (slightly smaller than iPad mini)
- Touch ID instead of Face ID
- No telephoto camera
- Multitasking improvements over standard iPhone, but not iPad Pro-level
Pricing hasn’t been officially confirmed, but expect Apple to go high. Full details should land at next week’s event, and at that point we’ll finally see whether the real thing lives up to, or quietly contradicts, everything Gurman has been saying.