iPhone Fold tipped for 24MP under-display camera — and it seems like a bad idea

(Image credit: Future)

A new rumor for the iPhone Fold suggests it could use camera tech that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 only just abandoned this year — an under-display camera in its main display. And I'm not sure this would be a wise move for Apple.

This comes via Max Weinbach on X, who posted a report from analysts at JP Morgan showing expected specs for the first foldable iPhone. If you read the center portion of the bottom table, where the analysts list the camera types they expect the iPhone 18 series to use next year, you can see that the "foldable iPhone" is listed as having two 24MP selfie cameras, including one under-display unit.

Two tables from a JP Morgan report on iPhones, detailing various specs and expected specs for past and future iPhone models — (Image credit: Max Weinbach / X)

Under-display cameras (sometimes referred to as UDCs) have been around for half a decade now but have seen mixed results. The most noteworthy user of UDCs has been the Galaxy Z Fold series, which used one in its inner display between the Z Fold 3 and Z Fold 6. Some Chinese companies, such as ZTE, Nubia and RedMagic, have also been using and refining this technology for some time.

However, the problem with UDCs is that, by shooting through a layer of the display rather than just plain glass or plastic, the photos can end up hazy-looking, with bright light sources looking especially weird and pixellated. If you want good photos from a front-facing camera, there's no beating the regular punch-hole. And given Apple is usually happy taking things slow in order to get things right (e.g. the fact it's launching its first foldable about eight years after its rivals started), it seems odd for them to pick a component with such big trade-offs.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 shown in hand — The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6. The under-display camera is just about visible in the top center of the right half of the display. (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

If Apple does go for a UDC on the iPhone Fold, it may be able to alleviate some of the issues with its high-res sensor. The 24MP camera listed in the JP Morgan report is much higher quality than the 4MP sensor Samsung had been using, for instance. It makes sense for Apple to use this camera — it's the same as the one it will apparently use on all the regular iPhone 18 models' selfie cameras, as well as the outer camera of the iPhone Fold.

Lacking some Pro camera features

An unofficial render of the iPhone Fold, closed and open in a tent position — (Image credit: Bob Obba / YouTube)

The table Weinbach shared also tells us that JP Morgan's analysts expect the iPhone Fold to use 48MP main and ultrawide sensors on the back. No telephoto camera like the Pro models, sadly.

The folding iPhone's main camera may also lack sensor shift stabilization - Apple's system for avoiding shaky photos and videos by letting the camera sensor move to compensate for the phone's motion. This indicates that, despite this likely being the most expensive iPhone to date when it launches, Apple isn't going to stuff it with its highest-grade camera tech.

The analysts, like the rumors we've heard before, expect the iPhone Fold to arrive in fall of next year, alongside the next Air and Pro iPhones. The regular iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e will appear in the year after - a new launch strategy for Apple we've heard other sources claim.

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Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.

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Lacking some Pro camera features

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