Gurman: Foldable iPhone Ultra Keeps MagSafe — And He Doesn't Buy a Q4 Delay
In a Tom's Guide interview (MacRumors/9to5Mac Sep 1), Gurman says MagSafe is in for Ultra despite the thin fold, the crease won't vanish, and he'd be surprised if Ultra slips to late October or November.
As someone who tracks Apple leaks from San Francisco every week, MagSafe on the foldable was the last open question I still cared about.
On September 1, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman sat with Tom's Guide and cleared it up. MacRumors and 9to5Mac both carried the same interview. I'm treating this as a new exclusive vs the August 30 Pencil scoop we already covered.
MagSafe is in
Dummy Ultra units that leaked earlier had no MagSafe ring. Leaked cases did. That split kept the rumor board noisy.
Gurman's line is blunt: "All indications that I've heard is that MagSafe is in for this foldable phone." He points at iPhone Air as proof Apple already shoved MagSafe into a super-thin chassis, so the foldable shouldn't be special-cased.
I'm writing this as likely MagSafe on Ultra, not a confirmed Apple slide. Until September 9, it's still Gurman.
Crease, hinge, and launch timing
Same interview, three other notes worth pinning:
- The crease isn't gone. Gurman says it's comparable to current Samsung foldables and maybe better because of the liquid-metal hinge focus.
- Apple's durability goal was "as durable or at least close to it as any other iPhone."
- On timing, he would be very surprised if Ultra slipped to late October or November. He expects a dual launch with the Pro phones, or within weeks. That sits next to Ming-Chi Kuo's more cautious take (picked up in MacRumors' Sep 2 calendar piece) that Ultra pre-orders could trail the Pros into Q4. I'm logging both — Gurman is the closer source for day-one availability chatter.
Software side
Gurman also says iOS 27 on Ultra should support iPad-like side-by-side apps plus drag and drop between on-screen apps. Spec recap he repeated: 5.5-inch cover / 7.8-inch inner, latest Pro chip + modem, $2,000+ starting price, no telephoto (we already covered that beat).
What I'd buy while Ultra is still vapor
Live catalog MagSafe gear today — not Ultra itself:
- Anker Prime 25W Qi2.2 3-in-1 MagSafe — foldable MagSafe desk pad while we wait for official Ultra cases
- iPhone Air Space Black 512GB — the thin MagSafe phone Gurman used as the precedent
- iPhone 16 Pro 256GB renewed — current MagSafe Pro stand-in if you're not waiting for 18 Pro
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Surprise and Shine is September 9. Until Apple puts MagSafe on a slide, this is the Gurman beat — MagSafe in, crease soft-not-gone, dual-launch more likely than a Q4 slip.
Products in This Review
Anker Prime 25W Qi2.2-Certified Palm-Sized 3-in-1 Foldable MagSafe Charger
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iPhone Air Space Black, 512GB (Unlocked)
iPhone Air. The thinnest iPhone ever. 6.5-inch display, durable Ceramic Shield front and back, A19 Pro chip, 48MP Fusion camera system, and Center Stage front camera.
Apple iPhone 16 Pro, 256GB, Natural Titanium - Unlocked (Renewed)
Apple iPhone 16 Pro, US Version, 256GB, Natural Titanium - Unlocked (Renewed)