Apple's iPhone Ultra might not launch after all – expect the "iPhone Duo" instead

We have been writing and discussing Apple's first foldable iPhone for many months – years, even – and it's mainly been called the iPhone Fold or iPhone Ultra in that time. However, it seems that the internet speculation was wrong.

While Apple is almost certainly going to reveal the device later today, the names we've been using have seemingly been incorrect.

According to Bloomberg's resident Apple expert, Mark Gurman – who is generally right about these things – the foldable will be called the iPhone Duo, instead.

This is backed up by fellow trusted leaker, Ice Universe, who posted an "iPhone Duo" teaser on his X feed.

To be honest, the name allegedly chosen doesn't sound like an Apple product. It's more Microsoft, which used a similar name for its own, ill-fated foldables in the early 2020s. But there was also some who suggested that calling the new iPhone "Ultra" would also be misleading.

It's believed that it'll have a lower spec camera unit than the iPhone 18 Pro, with the telephoto lens missing. And it's also thought that it'll cut Face ID from the equation, being that it'll be so slim when unfolded.

Those omissions mean that while you gain a fold-out screen, the new iPhone can hardly be called the best of the best. It'll be different rather than superior.

Someone might want to tell the accounts department that though, as Gurman also suggests that the starting price will be $2,000 (£2,000, if Apple's pricing convention continues as normal).

That's actually less than some reports and leaks have claimed, although it is also said that the 2TB model could rise to as much as $3,000.

Setting the entry point at $2K (rather than the tipped $2.5K) does allow Apple to better compete with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, however. Samsung's similarly-sized starts at $1,899 – just $100 less – so the difference could be forgiven by many.

It'll be more stark in the UK, of course, as Samsung doesn't match prices like-for-like over here – the Galaxy Z Fold 8 starts at £1,699 – and there are discounts at networks already. But it could have been much worse.

We'll find out for sure in just a few hours, when the Apple event kicks off. T3 will be covering all the news live and throughout the day, so stay with us.