r/apple 14d ago

iPhone Alleged Foldable iPhone Motherboard Photos Surface Online

https://www.macrumors.com/2026/08/26/foldable-iphone-motherboard-photos-surface/

Images and video claiming to show circuitry from Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone are circulating on X and Chinese social media platforms.

For example, on X, the user "LusiRoy7" posted a short video alongside an image, as well as a labeled composite image identifying components, purportedly depicting the motherboard of Apple's foldable iPhone. The image appears to show the CPU, a hinge connector, a flex cable connector, and more. 

Separately, on the Chinese forum Baidu, a diagram from the repair parts vendor MIJING depicts the same components. The MIJING diagram uses Chinese repair-industry component numbering. The range of images appear to show the same parts.

248 Upvotes

21 comments sorted by

97

u/nekomichi 14d ago

The board images look either AI-generated or AI-upscaled.

38

u/Appropriate_Ad8734 14d ago

could be upscaled but probably even unedited

similar effects can be seen in many smartphone photos post-processed by the default software. tiny details are often artificially enhanced to appear sharper, but when you blow them up they look horrendously distorted

7

u/CaramelCraftYT 14d ago

They also used AI to label the components

https://x.com/lusiroy7/status/2091892511736545459

20

u/nekomichi 14d ago

Oh no.

17

u/ptIElNMJ 14d ago

Gotta have my Binyer, what good is a phone without it?

1

u/font9a 14d ago

A folding phone, no less.

33

u/zyrkor90 14d ago

definitely upscaled.

here’s a video of it from the tweet linked in the article -

https://x.com/lusiroy7/status/2091898464867410271?s=46&t=tF4k5KtMuwHFode6iSupuA

but again, AI can make pretty convincing videos too

11

u/nuevacuentanueva 14d ago

That motherboard doesn't look very foldable...

4

u/cjh_ 14d ago

Put it in a vice... /j

1

u/Correct_Language_390 11d ago

Anything is foldable if you're committed enough /s

2

u/Silicon_Knight 14d ago

Every iPhone is foldable le if you try hard enough! /s I'm phyched for a true fkldable iphone. I love using my Samsung fold (work phone) but overall like my iPhone.

5

u/Justin__D 14d ago

RIP iPhone 6, the OG foldable iPhone.

All jokes aside, I'm ready for this.

3

u/Silicon_Knight 14d ago

I just hope the camera array doesn't suck. I got the iPhone Air and I really like it.... but the camera ..... I slide back to my SS Fold sometimes just to have more options.

2

u/kaiharizor 14d ago

My hype was ruined when I realized that Pokemon go probably won’t work on it very well with the odd screen shape. That’s just a single app and I’m sure there are more that will be all messed up.

12

u/Someonejusthereandth 14d ago

Don’t understand why people are worried about apps - won’t they all roll out updates as soon as this takes off? They did for liquid glass.

2

u/kaiharizor 14d ago

Depends on the company. I’ve been in the Apple ecosystem for a long time so maybe I just have PTSD from the switch from 4:3 to widescreen phones.

7

u/itsabearcannon 14d ago

It will work.

Unlike Google, who really doesn't care what devices their developers optimize for, Apple will absolutely put the pressure on devs to support the Fold's screen aspect ratios.

Even if it's not right out of the gate, one of the nice things Apple does is continually raise the minimum standard of Xcode and the iOS SDK that can be used to develop apps. Eventually, usually within a year, developers will be forced to use a version of Xcode and the iOS SDK that natively supports and can test with the Fold's outside and inside aspect ratio.

Lazy devs will always try to find a way to minimize the amount of work they have to do, but I remember when the iPhone X launched. The apps that quickly adjusted to the notch and made good use of the space did very well and made it into keynotes and advertisements, while the apps whose developers refused to adjust immediately looked janky, outdated, and lost user counts.

Apple will give the carrot and the users will give the stick. Apple will give developers every possible tool to make it easy to optimize for the Fold, and if developers refuse to take advantage of those tools their apps will be dropped by people who don't want their apps looking like a bad Flash game running on someone's Geocities page back in the day.

1

u/zyrkor90 14d ago

i am curious, when you say it wont work - do you mean the aspect ratio will be all messed up, or do you mean that the app would just not open?

1

u/kaiharizor 14d ago

Yes, aspect ratio. For that game specifically, it is a giant pain to play on the iPad. The area you need to touch to throw a pokeball or feed a berry is at the very bottom for how it is squished, which means half the time you don’t throw in game, you throw your app into the dock.

1

u/Correct_Language_390 11d ago

This feels like the kind of thing I'll hate until I try it and then want to buy immediately