What the reviewers said
Tech Advisor UK
4/5Oct 23, 2026Apple's first foldable is remarkable, with a matt inner display and slick software, but Touch ID, missing Action Button and weak cameras hold it back at its high price.
- Beautifully engineered titanium design and strong hinge
- Matt nano-textured inner screen minimises crease and reflections
- Software adapts well between outer and inner displays
- Surprisingly good battery life
- IP68 rating, rare for a foldable
- Touch ID replaces Face ID
- No Action Button
- Cameras trail the iPhone 18 Pro
- Very expensive with long shipping wait
- Heavy at 254g and eSIM-only
The Verge US
7/10Oct 21, 2026Apple's first foldable is risky and messy but fun for early adopters; the cover screen is too small for everyday use.
- Matte inner display looks solid and hides the crease well
- Fun to play with; an interesting new foldable idea
- Wide passport shape suits 16:9 video on the inner screen
- Apple's app ecosystem makes the foldable more cohesive than Android rivals
- Cover display is too small for regular use
- Heavier and bulkier than a standard phone
- Gets hot
- Cameras are just OK
- Many app layouts and controls feel awkward and disorienting
Engadget US
8.8/10Oct 21, 2026Apple's first foldable is a polished, powerful, well-built device, held back by heavy weight, high price, and apps not yet optimized for its large screen.
- Slick, durable titanium design with a very smooth hinge
- Strong performance and battery life
- Matte nanotextured inner display hides the crease well
- IP68 dust and water resistance
- Strong camera quality
- Heavy at 254 grams
- Expensive at $1,999
- Many apps not yet optimized for the foldable screen
- Only two rear cameras
- Nanotexture layer can be peeled off easily
Tom's Guide US
4.5/5Oct 21, 2026Apple's first foldable is the best-designed foldable the reviewer has tested, with polished build, strong software and a glare-reducing display. Trade-offs include no telephoto, no Face ID, and weak non-optimized…
- Striking, durable titanium design with IP68 rating
- Nano-texture display reduces glare and hides the crease
- Multiple modes including tabletop, tent and standby
- Intuitive split-screen multitasking
- Strong performance and optimized apps look great
- No telephoto camera or Face ID
- Non-optimized apps look bad
- Nano-texture display mutes colors versus OLED
- Heavier and thicker than Galaxy Z Fold 8
- Charging slower than Fold 8; backordered until December or January
PCMag US
4.5/5Editors' ChoiceOct 21, 2026Apple's first foldable is a strong debut with a great hinge, excellent battery life and performance, though Touch ID and weight are drawbacks.
- Smooth, strong hinge that opens a full 180 degrees
- Class-leading battery life for a foldable
- Fast A20 Pro performance and fresh iOS multitasking experience
- Two large, phenomenal displays; Apple Pencil support
- IP68 water and dust resistance
- Side-mounted Touch ID button misreads frequently
- Heavy at 254 grams, noticeably weighty in pocket
- Camera Control button placement causes accidental presses
- No customizable Action Button
- eSIM-only; no SIM tray
TechRadar UK
4.75/5Oct 21, 2026Apple's first foldable is a polished, well-engineered entry with a nearly crease-free screen. It is pricey and not a clear win over Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8, but it is…
- Excellent, polished design and hinge engineering
- Flat matte inner screen that hides the crease
- Excellent performance and split-screen multitasking
- Strong main and ultra-wide cameras
- Cover screen loses space to dock placement
- No telephoto camera
- Limited third-party app support so far
- No Face ID; starts at 256GB at high price
Apple's first foldable is polished and reliable with a nearly invisible crease, but heavy, with many apps still unoptimized and rigid multitasking.
- Polished hardware with a graceful hinge
- Nanotexture screen hides the crease well
- Multitasking is easy once apps are optimized
- Fun camera features like Duo Preview and Smart Take
- Reliable battery life
- Heavy at 254 grams
- Rigid split-screen multitasking; no resizing or floating third app
- Many apps not yet optimized for the large screen
- No dedicated telephoto zoom camera
- No native cursor support for the keyboard trackpad
Verdicts, pros and cons are short summaries in our words of each publisher's review; scores are as the publisher gave them. Specs are taken from the reviews' spec boxes — where they differ, we show the value most of them give; price is the US launch price of the base model. Read the originals for the full picture.
