If you're like me and presumably thousands of other tech enthusiasts in general and ardent followers of Apple-centric news in particular, you've probably made a habit of either religiously keeping an eye on Mark Gurman's weekly Bloomberg Power On newsletter or our regular coverage of the juiciest information contained in said newsletter every Sunday.
This week, the detail that undoubtedly caught the attention of most Bloomberg readers was the possibility of the just-unveiled iPhone 16e receiving yearly hardware upgrades starting in 2026, much like Apple's higher-end handsets released in the fall.
But the almost always reliable Mark Gurman hid an even juicier (and, sadly, vaguer) prediction in the middle of his latest extensive forward-looking article, which may or may not come true next year.
Apple's next wave of innovation could kick off soon
As different as the iPhone 16e clearly looks from the third-gen iPhone SE of 2022, it's definitely hard to view Apple's newest affordable (ish) device as a true illustration of mobile industry innovation.
But the Cupertino-based tech giant is widely expected to unveil a potentially groundbreaking foldable iPhone at some point in the next couple of years, and out of nowhere, "another new iPhone design" is now reportedly lined up for a 2026 launch.
Apple's first Galaxy Z Fold alternative might not be the only innovative iPhone slated for a 2026 release. | Image Credit -- PhoneArena
This is specifically described as a separate product from the first-of-a-kind "iPhone Fold", and as far as I can tell, there are no signs that it will be in any way connected or related to the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air expected to see daylight in the fall of 2025 to take on Samsung's fast-approaching Galaxy S25 Edge.
Yes, we are apparently dealing with something entirely different here, and I'm afraid I would be lying if I claimed to have any idea how this "new iPhone design" might look. What I can assume (based on everything else Gurman is predicting and speculating this week) is that it won't be a truly low-cost sequel to the aforementioned iPhone SE 3.
It also seems highly unlikely that Apple would bring two different foldables to market in the same year after waiting so long to join the Huawei-dominated segment, and although we've heard some whispers over the years, I doubt a rollable iPhone could be ready for primetime so soon and without more substantive recent rumors.
That essentially leaves me scratching my head in search for a possible answer, which could however prove to be far less spectacular than you think. After all, Gurman's careful wording doesn't make it clear that this is a new product he's been "told" about, but merely a "new iPhone design." In other words, this might simply mean that next year's iPhone 18 will look different from 2025's presumably repetitive iPhone 17.
Apple might be more focused on the iPhone Fold than the iPhone 17e
While it remains unclear if we'll get an iPhone 17e in 2026, followed by an iPhone 18e in 2027, and so on and so forth, more and more insiders are suggesting or outright telling us that a foldable iPhone is in active development and very likely to come out next year.
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An iPhone 16e sequel might prove to be the least exciting new Apple product in 2026. | Image Credit -- Apple
This latest Bloomberg report makes it pretty clear that the "iPhone Fold" design has yet to be finalized, so there's probably no point in speculating too much on that particular front. Of course, that doesn't make it any less fun to imagine how Apple's Galaxy Z Fold alternative would look with the non-existent crease, 7.7-inch or so primary display, and 5.5-inch cover screen rumored just in the last couple of weeks.
Whatever "new iPhone design" the company is also cooking up for a 2026 debut, this is likely to remain Apple's most exciting impending product for the foreseeable future.
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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