Foldable iPhone Design Leak Reveals You'll Need To Relearn How To Use Your Phone

Most foldable iPhone design leaks to date have focused on the sizes of the two displays and Apple's interest in making a foldable panel without a visible crease. Some reports have also mentioned that the phone will not feature Face ID support and that it will have only two cameras on the back. A brand-new leak from China detailing the so-called iPhone Fold gives us a few additional details about its design that, if true, will force longtime iPhone users to relearn how to use an iPhone. 

Actions like unlocking the phone, taking screenshots, muting the handset, and taking photos may require building new habits. Leaker Instant Digital (via MacRumors) shared details about the foldable iPhone's design, including the placement of buttons, the cameras, and even the internal wiring system, which align with rumors claiming that the foldable iPhone may feature a larger battery than some Android rivals.

Non-foldable iPhones have had the same general button and camera layout for years. On the left side, there's the mute switch (Action button in newer models) and volume buttons. On the right side, you have the Side button and Camera Control (on iPhone 16 and newer models). On the back, traditional iPhones have a camera module in the top left corner, featuring two or three lenses. The iPhone 17 Pro models and the iPhone Air have elongated camera bars that stretch to the other side, but the camera lenses are still grouped to the left.

Instant Digital says the right side of the iPhone Fold will still feature the Side button (with Touch ID support) and Camera Control, which they refer to as the "AI button." The foldable iPhone will not have any buttons on the left side, as the volume keys will be moved on the top of the phone, like the iPad mini. There's no mention of the Action button — a button Apple introduced in 2023 with the iPhone 15 Pro models before bringing it to every iPhone model that followed.

On the back of the iPhone Fold, there's a dual lens camera supposedly placed in a horizontal module similar to the iPhone Air. The two lenses would be positioned on the left of the iPhone's rear panel. The camera module will reportedly be black, while the panel will be a different color. The iPhone Fold should be available in two colors, but white is apparently the only color Apple has settled on so far.

Even without these leaks, it would have been easy to guess some of these design changes. The left side of the foldable iPhone can't feature any buttons, as that's where the hinge goes. The hinge takes up space inside the phone as well, so the rear camera module has to be positioned on the left. The foldable Galaxy Z Fold 7 in the image above proves these points.

Instant Digital also claims that Apple did not want to cross any wires internally. That's why it placed the volume keys on top. The phone's motherboard is supposedly placed on the right side of the screen. The remaining space is dedicated to the battery, with the leaker mentioning Apple using the largest battery in iPhone history for the foldable. A machine translation of the Weibo user's report says the internal structure of the iPhone Fold will "shock the limits" of the industry.

Buyers switching from a candy-bar iPhone to a foldable model will have to retrain themselves to unlock the iPhone using the Touch ID instead of Face ID. The same goes for authenticating in apps. Taking screenshots, a process that involves pressing the Volume Up and Side button, will also need retraining. These buttons sit opposite each other on current models, but they'll be quite close on the iPhone Fold. Fumbling with a phone featuring a fragile foldable display isn't what you want to do when taking a screenshot. Also, users who rely on the Volume keys to capture photos may have to adjust to the new position. The Camera Control button will presumably still be in the picture.

Other gestures that involve pressing iPhone buttons simultaneously will also be impacted. The list includes shutting down the phone (press and hold the Volume and Side buttons), and pressing the volume keys and Side button to force restart and enter Recovery Mode. Muting the foldable iPhone may also be different. It's unclear if the handset will feature an Action button, which can be paired with the mute feature. You can also set up a mute button in Control Center.