Apple is apparently trying to save as much internal space as possible for the iPhone Fold's heftier components by eliminating all non-essential elements, such as a dedicated SIM card tray, and opting for an eSIM-only design instead.
The Chinese tipster, Instant Digital, has now postulated that Apple is likely to launch the iPhone Fold next year as an eSIM-only foldable smartphone. In doing so, the tipster has echoed the previous comments by and the prolific Apple-focused analyst, .
Kuo had previously stated that the iPhone Fold's ultra-thin design does not leave much room for a dedicated SIM card tray. Instant Digital now seems to be agreeing with this hypothesis.
Do note that the launch of the iPhone Air, which is also an eSIM-only smartphone, created regulatory challenges for Apple in China. After all, the country had remained notoriously eSIM-shy until Apple was able to effect a change in the then regulatory aversion towards eSIMs .
Meanwhile, the iPhone Fold is expected to sport the following features and design elements :
- A crease-less design for the foldable screen .
- A dedicated vapor chamber.
- A book-style form factor, with the iPhone Fold's primary panel measuring 7.74 inches, and the cover display measuring 5.49 inches.
- A 2,713 x 1,920 resolution, with a 4:3 aspect ratio.
- Touch ID instead of Face ID.
- A20 Pro SoC, a 12GB RAM, in-house C2 5G modem.
- A 48MP resolution for the rear dual-camera setup.
- An in-display camera with a resolution of up to 24MP.
- A battery with a capacity of 5,400-5,800mAh.
- An H2 2026 launch.
- Projected price of around $2,399
- Expected shipments in the first year to vary between 7 million and 9 million units .
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