iPhone Ultra Foldable: Key Features It May Lack Despite Its Premium Price Tag

Apple is preparing to unveil its first foldable phone, the "iPhone Ultra," which is expected to launch with a price tag starting from $2,000, yet it may lack several key features available in the newer iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. The device's ultra-thin design, with its titanium frame and glass back, suggests a similarity to the less equipped iPhone Air, which lacks some camera features, SIM slots, and stereo speakers. Based on extensive leaks and rumors, the anticipated omissions in the "iPhone Ultra" include Face ID, the telephoto camera, the Action Button, a traditional physical SIM card slot, in addition to mmWave 5G connectivity. **Face ID** It is believed that the extreme thinness of the "iPhone Ultra" will not allow for the integration of Apple's TrueDepth camera array, which comprises the components necessary for Face ID. Consequently, Apple is expected to revert to a side-mounted button with an integrated Touch ID sensor for biometric authentication. Despite this, the device will feature a front camera sensor in both screens, with rumors circulating about a 24-megapixel under-display internal sensor. Notably, the last flagship iPhone to feature Touch ID was the iPhone 7, launched in 2016, whereas iPhone 18 Pro models are moving towards integrating the infrared illuminator for Face ID under the screen to reduce the size of the "Dynamic Island." **Telephoto Camera** According to conceptual renderings shared by well-known leakers, the "iPhone Ultra" is anticipated to include only two rear cameras: a 48-megapixel main lens and an ultra-wide lens. This implies the absence of a third telephoto camera, a staple feature in Pro models. Bloomberg reported last month that early users of the device were impressed, but indicated that the camera system might be the most disappointing aspect for buyers. **Action Button** Ongoing conceptual renderings show the absence of an Action Button or silent switch. The power and volume buttons are clearly visible, with the volume controls positioned on the device's top edge, aligned to the right, similar to an iPad mini, while the left edge appears completely bare. This would mark the first iPhone without such a button or silent switch, coming approximately three years after Apple introduced the Action Button in the iPhone 15 Pro as a replacement for the silent switch. This unusual button design rumor first emerged from the "Instant Digital" account, a well-known leaker on China's Weibo platform, who stated that the motherboard is located on the right side of the device. Instead of routing cables across the screen to the left side, where volume buttons are found on all other iPhones, Apple reportedly decided to route them directly upwards to maximize internal space. **SIM Card Slot** Rumors suggest that the "iPhone Ultra" will also lack a physical SIM card slot, mirroring the iPhone Air, and will rely entirely on an electronic SIM (eSIM). Both Bloomberg and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo anticipate the device will be eSIM-only in all markets where it is launched. **mmWave 5G Connectivity** The device is likely to lack mmWave 5G connectivity if it comes with Apple's internally developed C2 modem, as expected, given reports suggesting that the C2 modem may not yet support mmWave technology. Conversely, iPhone 18 Pro models sold in the United States are expected to retain Qualcomm components due to their support for the mmWave bands utilized by American carriers. Apple does not sell mmWave-enabled iPhones outside the United States. Thus, the C2 modem-dependent version of the "iPhone Ultra" would represent a new step in Apple's transition to using its own modems, akin to the iPhone Air, but it might limit the device to 5G networks relying on sub-6 GHz bands. **MagSafe Support** Regarding MagSafe technology, Bloomberg's tech journalist Mark Gurman indicated that it will ultimately be present in the "iPhone Ultra," pointing to Apple's successful integration of the magnet array in the iPhone Air. This ambiguity arose from experimental device mockups that appeared earlier this year, which did not show any indentations for internal MagSafe magnets, whereas iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max mockups clearly depicted these indentations. Conversely, leaked cases for the foldable phone included a magnetic ring, keeping the matter unclear until recently when the picture became clearer.