Macworld

Apple is preparing to expand its Ultra line in a big way. The designation, currently limited to Apple Watches, M-series chips, and CarPlay, will reportedly come to the iPhone next, with the launch of the first folding iPhone on September 9. Per Apple’s nomenclature, an Ultra product is the highest-end of its kind, outperforming the Pro models with high-end features worthy of its name and price. That, however, won’t be the case when the iPhone Ultra launches in a few weeks.

The iPhone Ultra will undoubtedly cost the most and offer exclusive features unavailable on Pro iPhones, most notably a folding display and upgraded iOS multitasking. Nevertheless, it’ll miss out on a ton of essential features that users already get with Pro phones and, in some cases, even entry-level iPhones. When evaluating the full packages, one could arguably crown the iPhone 18 Pro Max as this year’s actual Ultra model.

Faceless ID

Users will experience the downgrade from the moment they pick up their iPhone Ultra. Due to its complex folding design, Face ID, the decade-old biometric authenticator and standard across all iPhone models, will reportedly be missing from a flagship iPhone for the first time since 2017. Instead, you’ll have to precisely position your registered finger on the Touch ID sensor embedded into the power button, as wth the iPad.

I’ve used Apple’s side-mounted Touch ID reader on an iPad Air in the past, and, trust me, you wouldn’t want it on your primary device. The operating system relies on biometric authentication for numerous sensitive tasks, beyond merely unlocking your iDevice. It’s used for Apple Pay, Apple Passwords, App Store purchases, etc. If your fingertip is moist or you’re wearing gloves, you’re going to find yourself manually entering your iPhone’s passcode countless times per day.

The iPhone Ultra will reportedly have just two cameras, a stark downgrade from the Pro phones.

Foundry

Camera shy

iPhones are many users’ sole digital cameras, with the Pro models boasting three advanced rear lenses for wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto shots. Given the Ultra name’s perceived superiority, customers would assume that the folding iPhone would match or even outdo the Pro variants in photography. In reality, it likely won’t.

According to rumors, the iPhone Ultra will completely drop the telephoto lens, downgrading the maximum digital zoom from 40x to around 10x. This will bar users from taking crisp shots of faraway subjects. Furthermore, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is rumored to exclusively adopt a variable aperture main camera, letting you control the depth of field and produce more balanced photos. You won’t get that with an iPhone Ultra, either.

Lack of Action

A couple of years ago, the iPhone 15 Pro retired the classic mute switch in favor of an all-new Action button. The mappable button allows users to run any task by pressing and holding it, including custom shortcuts, menus, and conditionals, making the Action button highly personalizable and useful. Based on the latest reports, the iPhone Ultra will exclude the Action button, providing users without an easy way to perform frequent daily actions.

Another common iPhone feature that might be missing is MagSafe. Not only does MagSafe provide a more reliable wireless charging experience and unlock StandBy mode, but it also lets you effortlessly attach a wide range of accessories, including wallets, power banks, kickstands, tripods, and much, much more. 

While the necessary magnets are incorporated into all iPhone models—including the $599 17e—the $2,000-2,500 iPhone Ultra might skip it, according to some rumors. However, a report just this week claims that Apple’s folding phone will indeed have MagSafe, so if you’re hoping to buy one, keep your fingers crossed.

The Action button has become a standard feature on all flagship iPhones—but it might not be coming to the Ultra.

Foundry

Handle with care

With the highest water and dust resistance, we no longer think twice before rinsing our iPhones or bringing them to the beach. The iPhone 17 Pro, for example, has the highest ingress protection rating: 68. The 6 refers to its dust-tight seal that prevents fine particles from entering the device, while the 8 indicates you can immerse it in up to 1.5 meters of water for no more than 30 minutes.

Foldable phones typically come with a lower IP rating due to their more complex design, including the mechanical hinge. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8—which reportedly mimics the iPhone Ultra form factor—has an IP48 rating. So, while it’s generally resistant to water, the 4 translates to vulnerability towards particles finer than 1mm. Beach sand, pocket lint, and dirt can get inside the phone and potentially damage it down the road, so you’ll need to be a lot more careful when carrying it around.

Simple SIM

Lastly, the iPhone Ultra, like the iPhone Air, will reportedly be eSIM-only internationally. While all iPhones sold in the US migrated to this format long ago, many frequent fliers and international users still prefer physical SIMs for a number of reasons. If you buy an iPhone 18 Pro from abroad, for example, you can still get a physical SIM card tray, but that won’t be the case with the Ultra.