Apple’s first foldable iPhone will charge the same way every iPhone has since 2020 — through MagSafe. That’s according to a new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who says the device widely expected to be called the “iPhone Ultra” will support Apple’s magnetic wireless charging standard. The confirmation lands just days before Apple’s September 9 event, where the foldable is rumored to headline a lineup that also includes the iPhone 18 Pro series.
Until now, MagSafe support on the foldable was genuinely in doubt — not a given, as it has been on every other mainline iPhone since the iPhone 12.
Why MagSafe Was Ever in Question
Dummy units of the iPhone Ultra that surfaced earlier this year didn’t show the telltale ring of magnets under the back glass, even as dummies of the iPhone 18 Pro did. Leaked third-party cases for the foldable told a different story, with cutouts that suggested a MagSafe array was still planned — leaving reporters and case makers guessing at which leak to trust.
The sticking point was space. Apple’s foldable is rumored to be extraordinarily thin when unfolded, with some reports pointing to a book-style body as slim as 4.5mm on its open side. Fitting a MagSafe coil, plus the battery and hinge hardware a folding phone already demands, is a tighter squeeze than on a standard iPhone.
Gurman says Apple solved it the same way it did on another famously thin phone: “They were able to get it into the iPhone Air, and I don’t see why they wouldn’t be able to get it into the foldable.” The iPhone Air launched last year as Apple’s thinnest handset yet, and its MagSafe implementation is reportedly the template being adapted for the fold.
What Else We Know Going Into September 9
Apple has confirmed its fall hardware event for September 9 at Apple Park’s Steve Jobs Theater. Reporting ahead of the show points to a book-style foldable with a 7.8-inch inner display and roughly 5.5-inch cover screen, an A20 Pro chip, dual 48-megapixel rear cameras, dual 18-megapixel front cameras split across both screens, and Touch ID standing in for Face ID — a compromise likely tied to fitting a front camera under the inner display instead of a notch.
Pricing rumors have climbed as the launch approaches. Early estimates from analysts like JPMorgan put a folding iPhone around $2,000; more recent reporting suggests configurations could range from roughly $1,999 up past $2,499 for higher storage tiers, positioning it well above the iPhone 18 Pro Max as Apple’s most expensive phone yet.
Shipping timing is where sources diverge. Gurman expects the foldable to ship around September 18, in line with a normal iPhone launch cadence. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has floated a more cautious timeline, suggesting Apple could push actual shipments into October or November if it needs more time to build enough units to meet day-one demand for a first-generation foldable.
Why It Matters
MagSafe seems like a small detail next to a 7.8-inch folding screen, but it’s the kind of thing that decides whether millions of dollars in existing accessories — chargers, wallets, car mounts, battery packs — work on day one or need replacing. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold line has never offered an equivalent magnetic charging standard, so a MagSafe-equipped iPhone Ultra would be the first mainstream foldable to bring that ecosystem along for the ride. We covered the foldable’s existence and Apple’s broader fall 2026 lineup strategy last month, and the shape of that bet keeps getting more specific with each new leak.
If you’re weighing whether to wait for the Ultra or grab this year’s flagship now, it’s worth revisiting the iPhone 18 Pro’s own price leak for context on how the two are shaping up to be priced relative to each other. And if you’re already invested in MagSafe accessories, our guide to the best wireless chargers is a good starting point once the new hardware ships.
Nothing here is official until Apple confirms it on stage. All specs, pricing, and shipping dates above are attributed to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, JPMorgan, and Ming-Chi Kuo’s supply-chain reporting — treat them as leaks, not announcements, until September 9.
Leave a Reply