The foldable iPhone could have a surprisingly small cover screen, but I’m not convinced

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 in Paris in front of the Louvre pyramid
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

  • The latest foldable iPhone leak lines up with previous ones in saying it could have a 7.6-7.9-inch foldable screen
  • More surprisingly it also states that the cover screen will be small at 5.3-5.5 inches
  • This leak also states that the foldable iPhone will probably land in 2026

While the first foldable iPhone is almost certainly in the works, details of its specs are still largely unclear, but we do now have a slightly better idea of its possible screen sizes.

According to Meritz Securities (via Jukanlosreve), the first foldable iPhone will have a main display that measures between 7.6 and 7.9 inches, and a cover screen that’s between 5.3 and 5.5 inches.

Now, the figures for the foldable screen sound believable – they’re in line with the likes of the 7.6-inch Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, and they're also in line with previous leaks, which have included claims of everything from 7.3 to 7.9 inches.

A questionable claim

However, I’m a lot less convinced by this claim that the cover screen will be at most 5.5 inches. While we haven’t heard much about the cover display yet (so this leak doesn’t conflict with previous ones) that sounds oddly small.

For comparison, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 has a 6.3-inch cover screen, so if the foldable iPhone has a main display that’s as big as or bigger than the Z Fold 6’s it would seem strange for its cover screen to be so much smaller. After all, there should be plenty of space for a larger size screen.

If the cover display really is this small, then that could suggest it’s surrounded by large bezels, but that doesn’t sound like a design Apple would use for a premium product.

In any case, there are a few other details in this leak, including a claim that the foldable display will have a wider aspect ratio than the Galaxy Z Fold 6, and that at least one of the screens will use LTPO (low-temperature polycrystalline oxide), which in turn will probably mean it has a variable refresh rate that can reach up to 120Hz.

However, I’d suggest taking all of this with a pinch of salt – and not just because of the questionable cover screen claims. We’re likely still a long way off from the foldable iPhone’s launch (with Jukanlosreve additionally claiming that there’s an 80% chance it will land in 2026), so Apple may not even have finalized the design and specs yet.

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James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.

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