The new iPhone offering is getting a bad reception.
The leak of a video of a so-called “dummy model” of the long-rumored iPhone has caused quite a stir.
The latest video is courtesy of YouTube channel Max Tech, in which content creator Vadim Yuryev uses a squat device that is believed to be the upcoming iPhone Fold, called the iPhone Ultra, and a regular-sized device that he says is an iPhone 18 prototype.
Celebrating his record, Yuryev insists that these examples are the real deal; the dummies he showed last year, in his words, represented the “place” of the iPhone 17 series.
Experts say that while the evidence is promising, it is not a guarantee of authenticity.
From the video, the foldable appears to take a book-style approach – opening horizontally into a tablet-like screen – with a chunky frame and a dual-lens camera bump on the back.
Yuryev’s dummy shows the external camera panel with two lenses that extend from the back of the phone.
According to his measurements, the phone measures 11mm when folded, 5.5mm when unfolded. By these standards, the Ultra is a touch thinner than the iPhone Air, which comes in at 5.64mm.
Analysts noted what could be a make-or-break omission: the apparent absence of MagSafe – Apple’s magnetic system, first released with the iPhone 12, which allows chargers, wallets, and other accessories to click satisfactorily into place.
“No MagSafe is a dealbreaker. And there’s no faceID on the side… I’m definitely ruling this one out,” said one reviewer.
Consumers had many thoughts, some of them encouraging.
“Based on this dummy model alone, I feel like it’s the worst of both worlds,” said one Reddit poster.
“You don’t see the point of phones like this. You want a bigger screen? Get an iPad,” added a second.
“At ULTRA prices,” chimed in a third, noting the foldable phone’s roughly $2,000 price tag.
“It’s hard to see the market here. You’re giving up everything the iPhone has added in the last 5 years for something as boring as the iPad mini,” said one die-hard Apple fan on a Mac forum.
Perhaps the shortest and worst summary of the model: “looks like an ass.”
Of course.
As previously reported by The Post, Apple has already hit unexpected snags while testing its first rollout, with developers battling problems that insiders say are “more complex” and more time-consuming than expected.
The Fold is scheduled to launch in September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.
That period will put Apple years behind rivals such as Samsung and Google, which have been releasing folders since 2019 – although not without their head related to the crease.
Apple, on the other hand, is betting that it can best its competitors with improved design.
The company reportedly believes it has broken some of the biggest foldable flaws, including durability, screen quality, and that horrible visual.
It is also banking on the a restrained price tag to push the iPhone even more premium… or, if you like…High place.
