September 9 could be an exciting day for Apple fans, because along with new editions of long-running phones, like the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, we’re also expecting the company to finally launch its first foldable, possibly dubbed the iPhone Ultra.
This of course will almost certainly be the most expensive iPhone in history — though if you think of it as an iPhone and iPad all in one then it could still be reasonably good value. But despite the definitely high price and the possibility of ‘Ultra’ in the name, it might actually be lacking some standard iPhone features.
Their absence will probably be part of an effort to keep the device slim, but in some cases could also be a cost-cutting measure, and combined they might make some buyers question just how ‘Ultra’ — and how good value — the phone really is. We’ve detailed these possible omissions below.
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1. Face ID
It’s long been rumored that the iPhone Ultra won’t have Face ID — instead it could have a Touch ID fingerprint sensor. Though unlike the last iPhone to sport Touch ID (the iPhone SE (2022)) this will probably be built into the power button, rather than being housed in a large home button under the display.
Still, it’s been many years since a high-end iPhone has lacked Face ID, and in recent years even budget models like the iPhone 17e have had it, so this omission could really sting.
There’s no guarantee that the iPhone Ultra won’t have Face ID, but numerous sources say it won’t, apparently because it’s going to be too slim for Apple’s TrueDepth camera array which powers Face ID.
2. A telephoto camera
Another casualty of the iPhone Ultra’s likely slim build could be a telephoto camera, with this phone reportedly having just a dual-lens rear camera, with wide and ultra-wide sensors.
This is a very believable claim, as not only has it been repeated a lot, but the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 — which it’s likely to have a similar form factor to — also only has a dual-lens camera.
Plus, Apple hasn’t equipped the standard iPhone 17 or the iPhone Air with a telephoto camera, so the company doesn’t seem to see it as an essential feature, even for quite expensive handsets. But given that the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max do have one, it would mean the iPhone Ultra is far from the best iPhone for photography.
3. An Action button
Apple debuted Action buttons back on the iPhone 15 Pro series and since then loads of iPhones have had one, but the iPhone Ultra reportedly won’t.
At this point we’ve seen numerous dummy units of the phone, such as some from leaker Sonny Dickson, and they lack an Action button, which could be a sign that the phone won’t have one — likely because it’s too slim for the required components.
These dummy units also lack a mute switch, which could make this the first iPhone to have neither.
4. MagSafe
As with the Action button, dummy units of the iPhone Ultra also lack a MagSafe ring, and while this could just be an omission from the dummies, it’s present in dummy units of the iPhone 18 Pro series, suggesting that the iPhone Ultra might not include magnets for connecting wireless chargers and accessories.
That said, Mark Gurman — an Apple watcher with a superb track record — has said in an interview with Tom’s Guide that “all indications that I’ve heard is that ‌MagSafe‌ is in for this foldable phone. They were able to get it into the iPhone Air, and I don’t see why they wouldn’t be able to get it into the foldable.”
So right now we’re not sure whether MagSafe will be included or not. We’re inclined to believe Gurman, but then again the iPhone Ultra looks like it might lack some other features the iPhone Air has (such as Face ID and an Action button), so his comparison there doesn’t fully add up.
5. A SIM card slot
Apple has already ditched physical SIM card slots for its phones in the US and a handful of other regions. But except for the iPhone Air, all of its phones currently do have SIM card slots in most of the world — including the UK and Australia.
However, the iPhone Ultra might join the iPhone Air in relying purely on eSIM, whatever country you buy it in.
This is something we’ve heard from multiple sources and it would make sense, since if the iPhone Air is too slim for a SIM card slot then the iPhone Ultra likely will be as well. In fact, of all the possible omissions, this is the one we’re most sure of — though for buyers in the US it will be business as usual.
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