The Foldable iPhone: No Face ID, No SIM Slot
Apple’s First Foldable iPhone: No Face ID, No SIM Slot, and a Thinner Design Than Ever
A new Bloomberg report has shed light on what could be Apple’s boldest iPhone yet: the company’s first foldable iPhone, expected to debut next year. And Apple is breaking tradition in more ways than one.
According to the report, the foldable iPhone will ditch the physical SIM card slot entirely and replace Face ID with a fingerprint scanner mounted on the side of the device. This marks a major departure from the company’s long-standing reliance on its signature biometric system.
Apple is also reengineering its display technology to tackle one of the biggest drawbacks of foldables — the crease. By merging the touch layer directly with its TFT panel, the company not only reduces the visibility of the fold but also delivers a faster, more responsive screen, making this one of Apple’s slimmest iPhones to date.
The camera setup will feature four lenses: one on the outer screen, one on the inner foldable display, and a dual-camera array on the back. While details on the rear cameras remain under wraps, Apple will face tough competition from foldables like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 with its 200MP main shooter, Honor’s V5 with a 64MP lens, and Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold with its triple-lens system.
Dropping Face ID wasn’t just an aesthetic choice. The technology requires multiple sensors that take up valuable space on both the external and internal displays — something Apple seems unwilling to compromise on for a thinner foldable. In its place, the company is reportedly adding a side-mounted Touch ID sensor, reminiscent of certain iPad models.
The shift away from Face ID also hints at a new screen design. Without the need for a notch, Apple could finally move to a near edge-to-edge foldable display, possibly with just a subtle punch-hole camera.
Rounding out the hardware changes, the foldable iPhone is expected to come with Apple’s own second-generation connectivity chip, building on the modem found in the recently launched iPhone 16e.
If the leaks hold true, Apple’s first foldable won’t just bend — it could break away from some of the company’s most defining features.
