Apple iOS 27 shows iPhone Ultra UI in advance, code hints at foldable

Apple announced iOS 27 on Monday, the next major operating system version for the iPhone, which is expected to be released in the fall. Developers can already install a beta version on compatible smartphones such as an iPhone 17 ($760 on Amazon), and have therefore already been able to take a look at the code.

As Bloomberg and 9to5Mac report, it contains several references to the iPhone Ultra, which is to be announced in September together with the iPhone 18 Pro. The iOS 27 code contains the terms "foldState" and "mechanicalAngleDegrees", meaning that the iPhone operating system recognizes when a hinge is closed, similar to how macOS already does. According to Bloomberg, a service utility also indicates a second display, a second glass cover and two additional ambient light sensors.

There are even references to the iPhone Ultra in the user interface. When an iPhone display is mirrored on a Mac, it can now be drawn wider, making the two-column user interface more reminiscent of an iPad than an iPhone. The new full-screen widgets, which for example display the music or weather app on an entire iPhone home screen, could also be intended for the iPhone Ultra, on which they would only take up half of the folded display. These new clues from iOS 27 lend credibility to earlier rumors that the iPhone Ultra will be launched this year.