Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max — what will the first folding iPhone be called?NurPhoto via Getty ImagesApple’s first foldable iPhone is a moment to note, so it deserves a momentous name. Other brands, like Samsung, which just celebrated record pre-orders for its latest models, have been making foldables for years. So, what name will Apple alight on? Here’s why a close analysis of a new report from Bloomberg means I think they may all, including iPhone Ultra, be wrong. ForbesiPhone 18 Pro Latest Release Schedule: What To Expect WhenBy David PhelanApple iPhone Fold Or iPhone Ultra — The First RumorsMonths ago, when the folding iPhone edged from possible to highly likely in press reports (while remaining unconfirmed by Apple, as it still is), there was consensus that it would be called iPhone Fold or iPhone 18 Fold. But then iPhone Ultra emerged as a name, from leaker Digital Chat Station, reported in April 2026. Ultra had been proposed previously as a replacement for Pro Max (though this never quite made sense to me — Pro was the name for a phone that came in two sizes, not two separate models). Ultra took hold, though, and most reports now refer to the new phone as iPhone Ultra. Now, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has said that “Everyone calls it the Ultra internally,” in a recent post on X.MORE FOR YOUThe Key ‘Power On’ Post That Has Just AppearedHowever, Gurman, in his latest Power On newsletter on Sunday, Aug. 23, has now written an extensive and informative piece about the new foldable. Close examination reveals that in the entire story he didn’t call it the iPhone Ultra even once, sticking scrupulously to “the foldable iPhone” throughout. I think that could be telling and suggests that he’s not convinced that the internal name is what the phone will be named.Is iPhone Ultra The Right Fit For Apple's First Foldable?I don’t think it is, exactly, and not just because Gurman isn’t using it. The expected lack of a telephoto camera on the foldable, also mentioned by Gurman in his latest comments, makes me think that Ultra isn’t the right fit: the iPhone 18 Pro will be better in this regard. In contrast, Apple Watch Ultra arrived with every feature of the regular Apple Watch and then some. Plenty of other names have been floated, such as iPhone Duo (sounds too much like two separate inside screens, as Microsoft produced some years back), iPhone Flip (this one is right out as it’s a larger foldable that’s predicted, not a regular-sized phone that folds in half) and iPhone Flex. None of these is quite the ticket, is it?I wonder if there’s something missing. This will be a high-end phone and Apple has used Pro for its top-flight iPhones recently. Since Max merely refers to the size, there’s room for another Pro model, I’d suggest.There’s precedent from Google, whose latest foldable is the Pixel 11 Pro Fold. So, how about iPhone 18 Pro Fold? Again, I’m not sure, though we’re getting closer. Apple is rarely literal. It didn’t call the MacBook Air “MacBook Light” or “MacBook Thin”. It has a series of names it reuses: Air, Pro, mini and Plus, for instance. iPhone Ultra: Will Something Else Be The Real Name?When Gurman said what the phone is being called internally, even he (wisely) hinted that this might not be the name. In the post on X, he added, “We’ll see what happens.”In other words, whatever the phone is called within Apple, it’s the marketing team who will know the answer. My guess, and yes, that’s all it is, is that it won’t be iPhone Ultra. We’ll find out soon enough (although, honestly, I can’t wait).ForbesApple iPhone 18 Pro Design Latest: 4 New Colors And Updated Case StyleBy David Phelan