Apple hasn’t even released its first foldable—a style book that has been leaking for months—and it reportedly works on another type of phone that flips in the middle.

At least that’s according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who writes in his latest Power On newsletter that “a square, clamshell-style foldable phone” is “under consideration” by the iPhone maker.

Gurman said that Apple is looking forward to the first foldable, expected to launch in September with the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, generate enough interest for “more shapes and sizes.” In other words, an iPhone similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip series, like current Z Flip 7may be in the future of Apple.

It should be surprising that no one Apple is considering a flip-style iPhone. As iPhones get bigger, consumers complain that they are no longer pocketable. At the same time, iPhones with smaller screens, such as iPhone 13 minivery little. A flip-style iPhone is the only way to give consumers a large screen that can also be compact.

It’s very nice, isn’t it? In the same way that the iPhone mini, iPhone Plus, and iPhone Air weren’t sales hits, there’s no guarantee that a flip-style iPhone will be a hit. Samsung has released new versions of its Z Flip series every year since 2020. The form factor is more robust than before, and the latest Z Flip 7 pushes the external screen into its contents, but it is fundamentally the same as previous Samsung models. The crease on the foldable screen is less visible than before, but it’s something you can feel when your finger swipes across it. The design also hasn’t gotten thinner or lighter; compare that to Samsung’s Z Fold 7which shed many generations upon many generations. The Z Flip 7’s battery life isn’t much improved over its predecessor, however.

Apple’s flip-style iPhone, of course, can solve these “disadvantages.” Its first foldable reportedly no visible crease. And if Apple can make the device as thin as the two iPhone Air piled up or even slimmer, then it has something to show that it is worth waiting for. And then there’s iOS—Apple users who don’t want to switch to Android despite the attractive design might consider an Apple-made flip-style iPhone. With Apple silicon, a flip-style iPhone may not have the same battery constraints as an Android-powered flip foldable.

And more than ever-especially now that the the regular iPhone 17 is a great value—Price will ultimately determine whether any foldable iPhone succeeds or not. In this economy, no one is jumping to pay more for a gimmick, even if that gimmick is something that makes the iPhone look better than a pair of skinny jeans or a wallet.

Consumers are waiting for Apple to release both the book-style and flip-style versions of the iPhone. But can Apple offer something truly new or will it come off as a copycat for the basic forms that Android phone manufacturers have been selling for years?

At Apple’s Q1 2026 earnings last month, CEO Tim Cook said, “… we are excited for all the opportunities we will have in the coming year to deliver innovations that have never been seen before.” Is he flirting with the iPhone foldable, the also designed tandem OLED MacBook Pros with touchscreens, cheap MacBookor something else? The truth of “innovations never seen before” may be closer to “in Apple devices.” Because let’s be real, any foldable iPhone—whether book style or flip style—isn’t going to be a new idea, even if it’s a great product.