The foldable iPhone remains an enigma, but a string of rumors and reports claim that Apple is scheduled to launch the premium flagship in the second half of 2026, though it will be mass produced in fewer quantities. Assuming the hardware and all the intricate components were not the device's most challenging aspect, the software will definitely be, which could be why Apple has taken its sweet time with it. Now, during a WWDC session, the company mentioned some harmless, but interesting words, which reignited the assumptions that work is being done on the foldable iPhone, so let us jump into the details.
With the iOS 26 SDK, Apple states that apps will no longer be letterboxed or scaled on newer display sizes
A comment made by Apple caught the attention of 9to5Mac, with the session called ‘Make your UIKit app more flexible.’ Starting with the iOS 26 SDK, apps running on newer hardware will not be letterboxed or scaled on future screen sizes. The report mentions that whenever Apple introduces a new iPhone with a taller screen or an iPad with a different aspect ratio, apps built with the older SDK will run in a scaled or letterboxed mode.
The only time developers could make their apps run natively was when they updated them against the latest SDK and re-submit those updates to the App Store. The following comments made during the WWDC session hint that we could be looking at a foldable iPhone in the near future.
“There is another compatibility mode, specifically for new hardware. Previously, when new hardware was released with a different screen size, the system would scale or letterbox your app’s UI. That scaling would stay in place until you built with a newer SDK and resubmitted your app. Once you build and submit with the iOS 26 SDK, the system will no longer scale or letterbox your app’s UI for a new screen size. These are the best practices to ensure that your app is flexible.”
These comments could just be Apple summarizing what changes will incur, and the company’s intentions may be completely different than what we are thinking about right now. However, bear in mind that earlier rumors have claimed that the foldable iPhone will feature a 4:3 aspect ratio, along with a book-style form factor, so it is difficult to ignore Apple’s comments in this regard. Then again, we can only get a first glimpse of the device when it first launches, and for that, we have to muster a little patience.
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