The iPhone's BlackBerry Moment
I'm sort of a sucker for looking at pictures of mock versions of the iPhone Ultra/ Fold, and certainly watching videos. I think it's a good thing as it means I'm clearly excited about the device, perhaps in a way I haven't been about an iPhone in quite some time. I also think it's fairly ridiculous as these are obviously just dummy units made based off of rumored/leaked specs. They could be bullshit – they're likely not, but they could be!1 – and yet here I am watching each and every one of these. Today brings another.
9to5Mac calls this video by Unbox Therapy "the clearest look yet" of the device. Yes, there's a 10-minute unboxing video of a dummy unit – sent from China is the most un-Apple-like packaging possible2 – and yes, we're considering this the closest look yet that anyone has gotten to the device. Which again, is both amazing and ridiculous. Such is the state of our world and gadgets in 2026.
Anyway, hell yeah I'm going to watch this. Because again, it gives a sense of what's possible with the device. And as I debate if I'm going to swap my old trusty Pro Max variants of the iPhone for this new one (narrator: there really is no debate), I really want to think through this. If nothing else, it's going to be an insanely expensive proposition.
So seeing this "device" in-hand, something strikes me: this might be the ultimate touch-typing machine. Yes, the heir-apparent to the BlackBerry of yore.
While noting (as many others have with their hands on such dummy units) that it's both incredibly short and almost "passport-like", the video focuses more on the unfolded-state of the device. Which, yes, is more like an iPad – they call it an 'iPad nano' at one point, which I think I like.3 But about 8-minutes in, they make the jump to where my mind immediately went: the BlackBerry.
Those devices were obviously insanely popular when the first iPhone came out 20 years ago. And that was in no small part because they were considered productivity machines. And that in no small part was due to the keyboard on the device. That, in turn, led many – most famously, Research in Motion itself, but also then-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer – to dismiss the iPhone with its touch keyboard as not a serious device, at least when it came to work/productivity.
That turned out to be very, very wrong, of course. But there was also some level of truth there, obviously. It's the reason why even to this day we see physical keyboard options pop-up for the iPhone. They're mostly ridiculous given the sheer size of the iPhone now – far larger than it was compared to that first iPhone, of course – but they may be getting better. And part of that is figuring out the right balance, quite literally.
Part of the problem with typing on an iPhone these days, even just with the on-screen touch keyboard is that the devices are so tall and narrow (certainly with the Pro Max models!) that the experience is very top-heavy. You really need to cradle the thing to make sure it doesn't fall, but that also means your hands are positioned in such a way that thumb-typing just isn't a great experience. You know what would naturally make it better? A wider body.
And that's exactly what the iPhone Ultra/Fold will offer! It's such a unique/weird form-factor that you have to wonder what Apple is thinking – at least when it's folded. And it could very well be this: a great typing experience and quick way to get stuff done.4 And if you need more firepower in the form of screen space (or, of course, want to watch/play something), well, you unfold it.
That fully unfolded screen will clearly be the main focal point for the device, but you have to wonder if the actual key won't be this folded state – the state the device will be in far more often. I've long thought Apple may be intending to do something a bit different here than simply a shorter, squatter iPhone. What if they figure out some new experiences and use cases for this mode?
What if it's the ultimate internet communicator!
We'll see. Maybe it will just be a fat iPhone, and maybe it will end up a misstep like the "fat iPod nano" ultimately was. But I think there's some potential here to change the iPhone dynamic a bit, and seeing "it" in action gives me a bit more confidence in that idea. Now here am I debating if I should try to order one of these dummy units from China myself just to hold it...
One more thing: Well, a few more things. First, clearly a key to the device will be the hinge as well – something you have to imagine Apple will nail. And will need to nail if there's going to be any hope for a crease-less (or at least less creased) screen. Second, I appreciate the pocket test in this video! The squatness of the device will certainly be welcomed by many in that regard! Third, but that may be offset by the even-more-ridiculous camera bump. It's not just that it wobbles when placed down, it's almost like a full-on lever now! It could probably be used to help get a car out of the mud. How Apple does a case for this device will be fascinating.5
1 It's also wild that Apple doesn't shut these down – this already has hundreds of thousands of views – but also I'm not sure they can? Again, they're dummy units based off of rumored specs, not the actual device. And if Apple did try to shut these down, it would both imply they were correctly and/or just create the ultimate Steisand effect? ↩
2 This looks like an iPhone if it was sent to you by a 5-year-old learning to wrap something for the first time. Or a drug dealer. ↩
3 Though, again, assuming the leaks are accurate, it will be awfully close to an iPad mini when unfolded – certainly the first version when it comes to screen size (they have also grown a bit over the years). ↩
4 Perhaps ironic that the sponsor of this video is Wispr Flow, an app for voice-to-text. Maybe this device becomes the ultimate palm-able vocal computing device when folded? A palm pilot, as it were? ↩
5 Presumably they won't be using adhesive like Google used to do for the Pixel Fold. But clearly any case is going to make this thing that much more thick. ↩