The iPhone Air could be the blueprint for Apple’s foldable iPhone

With the release of the iPhone 17 series now underway, focus is already shifting toward next year’s iPhone launch, especially the highly anticipated foldable iPhone. And it seems the clearest hint about Apple’s foldable future comes from this year’s special release: the iPhone Air.

The iPhone Air is the thinnest iPhone Apple has ever produced. During its “Awe dropping” keynote, Apple showcased the engineering prowess that went into creating the Air, highlighting how it fit all the Air’s internal components into its camera plateau to accommodate a larger battery, all while maintaining a slim and lightweight design.

Following the iPhone Air’s reveal, many people, myself included, saw it as a major stepping stone toward the foldable iPhone. According to a recent report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, this speculation appears to be accurate. In his Power On newsletter, Gurman states that the foldable iPhone will share similarities with the iPhone Air and that, based on his sources, “users should imagine two titanium iPhone Airs side-by-side” for how it will look.

The iPhone Air is a testbed for the foldable iPhone

It will likely be Apple’s most expensive iPhone ever

Credit: Apple

After holding the iPhone Air myself the other day, I was truly amazed by its weight and how it felt in my hand compared to the iPhone 17 Pro Max. While I’m not sure how well it will sell against Apple’s redesigned Pro models, it might attract many people who aren’t concerned about having the best cameras and just want a portable yet powerful iPhone.

For the foldable iPhone, I can easily imagine Apple essentially combining two iPhone Airs to create the experience it aims for, and it will surely apply much of what it has learned about producing the Air to its foldable.

Additionally, with the larger surface area a foldable phone provides when unfolded, the foldable iPhone could be even slimmer than the iPhone Air. Gurman already reported earlier this year that the foldable iPhone will “offer a similar design” to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, so considering how thin the iPhone Air is — and how thin the Fold 7 is — the foldable iPhone could offer the best of both worlds.

For reference, the iPhone Air measures 5.6mm thick (excluding the camera bar) and the Fold 7 measures 4.2mm thick when unfolded. Compared to the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which is 8.75mm thick, the iPhone Air and the Fold 7 are remarkably different. However, like the Galaxy Z Fold 7, one challenge the foldable iPhone will face is the price. Gurman believes the price could be at least $2,000, the same price the Fold 7 starts at, which will make it the most expensive iPhone ever.

As for when the foldable iPhone is expected to be announced, Gurman believes it will be at the “usual fall iPhone launch period, give or take.” To me, this means Apple could potentially announce the foldable iPhone in September 2026 alongside the iPhone 18 series, but then launch it a little later, possibly in October or November.

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is easily my favorite Android phone of all time, so I’m very excited to see Apple’s foldable iPhone take shape. With the phone likely a year away now, there is bound to be lots more speculation and leaks about it coming soon. For now, if you want to get a glimpse of what Apple’s foldable future could be like, the iPhone Air is your best bet.