Apple’s first foldable iPhone could reportedly take a familiar book-style approach, and Caviar’s unverified renders suggest a design strikingly close to Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8. If Apple follows this format, its biggest challenge may not be making a foldable, but getting the proportions, weight and usability right.
Apple has yet to officially acknowledge that it is working on a foldable iPhone, but that has not stopped the rumour mill from producing increasingly detailed visions of what the device could look like. The latest comes from luxury customisation company Caviar, which has published renders and claimed hardware details for what it calls the “iPhone 18 Ultra”.
There is an important caveat here: Caviar’s material should not be treated as confirmation of Apple’s plans. The company describes the information as an “exclusive insider” look, but Apple has not announced a foldable iPhone, and the specifications remain unverified.
Still, one aspect of the renders stands out. If the basic proportions are even remotely accurate, Apple could be heading towards the same general form factor that Samsung has adopted with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 — a new entry with a new form format.
Samsung may have already figured out the foldable formula
Having used the Galaxy Z Fold 8 (review), the appeal of this format becomes easier to understand. Samsung has moved away from the feeling that a foldable is simply two smartphones joined by a hinge. The Fold 8 is 9.7mm thick when closed, 4.5mm when open and weighs 201g, making the device feel considerably less cumbersome than earlier generations of book-style foldables.
The proportions also change how the phone is used. The outer screen handles quick interactions without requiring the device to be opened, while unfolding it provides a much larger canvas for apps, multitasking and other tasks.
More from TechIf Apple is indeed pursuing a similar design, it would be entering a category where Samsung has already spent years refining the basic concept.
Caviar’s iPhone Ultra renders point to a familiar shape
Caviar’s renders show a device with a narrow, tall outer display and a larger internal screen that opens horizontally. The company claims the outer panel will measure 5.3 inches, while the foldable LTPO OLED display could measure 7.8 inches, with a 4:3 aspect ratio and 120Hz refresh rate.
Those dimensions would put Apple’s alleged device firmly in the same broad category as Samsung’s Fold rather than the clamshell-style Flip.
Caviar also claims the phone could use a titanium frame, measure 4.5mm when unfolded and around 9mm when folded. Interestingly, the first figure is identical to the unfolded thickness of the Galaxy Z Fold 8, while the claimed closed thickness is only slightly slimmer than Samsung’s 9.7mm.
The renders show a large camera module, flat sides and a vertically arranged dual-camera system. Other design elements, including leather and gold finishes, are specific to Caviar’s luxury customisation work and should not be interpreted as indications of Apple’s final design.
The company also claims Apple could use a liquid-metal hinge and flexible glass to reduce the visibility of the crease.
Whether any of this reflects Apple’s actual hardware remains unknown. But the broader design direction makes sense. A foldable iPhone does not necessarily need to invent a new category of shape. Samsung’s Fold 8 demonstrates that a relatively thin, lightweight book-style device can make the format feel practical rather than experimental.
If Apple eventually adopts a similar 5.3-inch outer-screen and roughly 7.8-inch inner-screen arrangement, the interesting question will be less about whether Apple can make a foldable phone and more about how it refines a form factor Samsung has already spent years developing.
For now, Caviar’s renders are only a glimpse of what Apple’s foldable could become. But if the rumours eventually translate into a real product, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 may already have provided a useful blueprint.
