Foldable iPhone with Touch ID? Apple is preparing a return to the past

Foldable iPhone in 2026

Rumors about a foldable iPhone have been circulating since 2017, when the first Apple patents related to flexible displays began to leak online. Now Bloomberg reports that 2026 will be a turning point – that's when we are expected to see the first iPhone with a foldable screen. Interestingly, it won't just be a new design, but also a return to a feature that many thought had been definitively abandoned: Touch ID.

Return of Touch ID – Apple likes such moves

The last iPhone with Touch ID was the iPhone SE 3 from 2022. After that, Apple consistently focused on Face ID, and users gradually got used to the absence of a physical button. So why the return? We do not know the official reasons, but we have seen a similar story before – in 2020, with the iPhone 12, the company refreshed the MagSafe brand, previously known from MacBooks. Apple loves such "nostalgic returns," which strengthen the marketing of new devices.

Screen Technology – in-cell instead of on-cell

According to leaks, Apple has abandoned on-cell technology, where the touch sensor layer is located above the display. Instead, they have opted for in-cell, which integrates the sensors directly into the screen. This is significant for foldable devices – it allows smartphones to be thinner and the fold to be less visible.

The first foldable iPhone is expected to be available in four color variants: white, black, light blue, and light gold. Rumors also suggest four cameras, which brings it closer to the Pro line than standard models.

And what about earlier? iPhone Air in 2025

However, before we get to the foldable, in September 2025, Apple is set to showcase a novelty – an ultra-thin iPhone Air. This will be something completely different: just one camera, a basic A19 chip, and a minimalist design. It sounds like an experiment in the spirit of the iPhone 5C or the first MacBook Air – devices that were meant to test whether the market would accept more unconventional solutions.

History likes to repeat itself

It is worth remembering that the first iPhone from 2007 did not have either Face ID or Touch ID – just a regular passcode. Touch ID appeared only in the 2013 iPhone 5s and then became a breakthrough. Now, more than a decade later, it returns in the most futuristic iPhone we have ever seen. It’s a beautiful bracket for Apple fans: from a simple fingerprint to the flexible screens of the future.