SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 3, 2026, 01:39 (PST)
- Leak points to a foldable iPhone with volume buttons moved to the top edge and a Touch ID power button
- Separate post suggests the battery could top 5,500 mAh, which would be the largest yet in an iPhone
- Report says Apple is also exploring a clamshell “iPhone Flip” concept as a follow-up model
A new leak trail around Apple’s first foldable iPhone suggests the company is redesigning buttons and internal layout to squeeze in more battery and screen, according to The Mac Observer. The report cited posts from Instant Digital on Weibo describing an iPad-like volume-button placement and a battery upgrade. (The Mac Observer)
The details matter because Apple is still absent from a foldable market that Samsung Electronics and Google have been selling into for years. Battery life, weight and durability have been the trade-offs, and the latest leak is heavy on those pressure points.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has also flagged something else: Apple is “exploring” a smaller clamshell foldable — a flip-phone style that folds vertically — as a potential follow-up, 9to5Mac reported. Gurman wrote the idea was “far from guaranteed to reach the market,” and would sit in the same lane as Samsung’s Z Flip line and Motorola’s modern Razr. (9to5Mac)
MacRumors said the Weibo leak points to volume buttons shifting to the top-right edge, with the Touch ID power button and a separate Camera Control button staying on the right side. It also described a “stacked” internal design, a left edge without buttons, a punch-hole selfie camera (a small circular cutout) that could shrink Apple’s “Dynamic Island” cutout area, and a black horizontal camera bar on the back, with white and one additional colour mentioned. (MacRumors)
In a separate post, Fixed Focus Digital pegged the foldable iPhone’s battery at over 5,500 mAh, MacRumors reported — mAh is a measure of battery capacity. That would top the iPhone 17 Pro Max at 5,088 mAh and exceed batteries in some current book-style foldables, including Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold (5,015 mAh) and Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 (4,400 mAh), the site said. (MacRumors)
The button move sounds small, but it is a design break for the iPhone, which has kept volume keys on the left for years. Putting them up top frees up side real estate in a foldable body where space is tight and wiring runs can get messy.
If Apple goes ahead, it is stepping into a premium niche that has not gone fully mainstream. Bigger screens are the pitch. Hinge problems and bulky builds are the baggage.
It is also a category where customers have learned to look for the fine print: creases, hinge wear, and how a large inner display hits battery life in real use. A bigger battery on paper does not guarantee longer life once you are powering more pixels.
But these are still leaks and early-stage reporting, and foldable projects have a habit of slipping or changing shape. Apple has not announced a foldable iPhone, and the “iPhone Flip” idea is described as exploratory, not a product on a schedule.
Market researchers have long argued Apple’s entry could shift the narrative even if volumes stay small. In a December report, IDC’s Francisco Jeronimo called the launch of Apple’s first foldable iPhone a “turning point” that could lift awareness and interest in foldables, even as the segment remains niche. (MacRumors)
For now, the leak drumbeat is telling Apple-watchers the same thing: if a foldable iPhone lands, it may not just be an iPhone bent in half. The company appears to be rebuilding the hardware around the fold.
