IPhone Ultra 2 Approved for Development, Expected Fall 2027

Apple has apparently not waited for its first foldable phone to ship before greenlighting the sequel. A Chinese leaker known as Digital Chat Station posted on Weibo that the “iPhone Ultra 2 project” has been formally approved for development, with the second book-style device expected to use the same display as the first-generation model arriving later this year.

That display is a 7.8-inch foldable OLED panel supplied by Samsung, built with a design that eliminates one of the traditional screen layers and folds the color-filtering layer directly into the display stack. The result is a thinner, lighter, and more power-efficient panel. Samsung and LG have already begun mass production of OLED panels for Apple’s 2026 lineup, so the display supply chain is already in motion.

The timing here is the more interesting detail. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman had reported that Apple plans to release a second-generation foldable in fall 2027, alongside two 20th-anniversary iPhone models that could carry the names iPhone 20 Pro and iPhone 20 Pro Max. Digital Chat Station’s post aligns with that window and adds the specific claim that development approval has now been formalized.

iPhone Air’s Future Is Less Certain

The same leaker offered a more cautious read on the iPhone Air line. The iPhone Air 3 has not entered the prototype stage, and whether it does may depend on how well the iPhone Air 2 sells after its expected spring 2027 release. That model is set to launch in at least two configurations and will introduce a second camera along with battery life improvements, per Gurman.

Digital Chat Station, who first floated the “iPhone Ultra” name for Apple’s debut foldable, has over three million Weibo followers and a credible track record on Apple leaks. The foldable will also need landscape software support to justify the larger canvas, a problem Apple has yet to publicly address. All details remain unconfirmed.