We definitely weren't expecting any hardware announcements at WWDC 2026 yesterday, but we've certainly been curious about what the newly announced software might tell us about the foldable iPhone Ultra and touchscreen MacBook Ultra.
Both devices are set to be the first of their kind, and the current expectation is that they'll arrive running iOS 27 and macOS 27, respectively.
Unsurprisingly, the release of the iOS 27 developer beta has already started bearing fruit. Software engineer M1Astra (via Bloomberg) and X user Sam Henri Gold have already been diving into the beta's code and uncovered strings that reference the still-unreleased foldable iPhone.
also a new MG key to get the total count of built-in displays pic.twitter.com/0uhik5DWROJune 8, 2026
One of the strings mentions a "foldState," which is clearly meant to determine whether the iPhone Ultra has been opened or closed. Likewise, "mechanicalAngleDegrees" and "angleDegrees" are likely meant to tell iOS 27 how much the hinge has been opened. That suggests that there may be a free-stop hinge that can hold itself open at specific angles.
That could mean iPhone Ultra could have features that rely on the hinge being at a certain angle. This could, in turn, indicate we get a feature similar to Flex Mode on Samsung Galaxy foldables, which splits the foldable screen into two distinct interfaces when the screen is fixed at a 90-degree angle.
Sam Henri Gold also pointed out a string labeled "MGGetLogicalDeviceDisplayCount." That would tell the software that a specific phone has more than one screen, which is a key feature of foldable phones.
It's more than just code strings
Bloomberg notes that iOS 27, as it is in the current beta, might be well-suited to foldable devices. The report notes that some widgets, like News and Music, are now available in a full-page format that takes up the entire screen. That could be beneficial for a larger foldable screen, since multiple widget panels could be displayed side-by-side.
Bloomberg also points out that Apple discussed a concept called "app adaptability" during the Platforms State of the Union — a developer presentation at WWDC. This concept is designed to help developers create software that works across a range of display sizes and aspect ratios.
While this is useful for producing apps for iPhone, iPad and other Apple platforms, it's particularly important for the iPhone Fold. Considering the foldable will have a totally different aspect ratio from non-folding iPhones, and a larger internal screen, iPhone app developers are going to have to learn to adapt to the different needs of iPhone users.
The days when all iPhone screens were basically the same are about to be over, and clearly, Apple is making sure that iOS 27 is going to be ready to handle what the iPhone Ultra will throw at it. We expect it won't be long before we find more clues within iOS 27, as well as tidbits about the MacBook Ultra in macOS.
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