Detailed foldable iPhone Ultra design units leak: Touch ID is back; Apple will push your buttons

The latest "official" iPhone Ultra/Fold dummy units have surfaced, and they appear to represent the final design for the highly anticipated iPhone Ultra/Fold and iPhone 18 Pro series. Let’s just say that the decisions Apple’s design team has made will push some people’s buttons.

While the iPhone 18 Pro looks virtually identical to the iPhone 17 Pro (hardly a conversation starter), the first foldable iPhone tells a much more interesting story. The dummy images confirm what was already rumored - Apple has "solved" one of the most underrated issues on foldables by "doing it the Apple way". 

Foldable iPhone Ultra brings back Touch ID, but the volume button placement will surprise you: Did Apple solve or create a problem?

Unlike competitors like the newly launched Huawei Pura X Max (the first wide-style foldable on the market), Cupertino has placed the volume buttons on the top of the iPhone Ultra/Fold rather than the right side. We also see a power button on the right side of the phone, which is expected to double up as Touch ID.

While moving the volume buttons to the top may seem unintuitive, it makes perfect sense for this wide, short form factor - well, at least in tablet mode. However, this creates a new ergonomic challenge - in its folded "phone" state, one-handed users will have to reach with their pointer finger to adjust volume.

Ultimately, it seems like Apple has solved one problem only to create another - unless the company has a smart software solution to mitigate the ergonomic challenge (like tapping on the side to summon the volume slider). Or perhaps the 5G antenna-looking thing on the right side is... a volume rocker? The flush appearance of the cutout makes it look like an antenna, but who knows!

Either way, by prioritizing the landscape/tablet state over the traditional iPhone state, Tim Cook & Co have made a statement - the "iPad mini" experience is prioritized on the iPhone Ultra/Fold. It’s a compromise Apple was clearly willing to make, which makes sense - making a 2-in-1 device will always come with some caveats. 

Hey, at least the buttons are still there… Right?