In the latest developer beta versions of iOS 27 and macOS 27, several new discoveries are regarded as "official profiles" of Apple's upcoming folding screen iPhone and touch screen MacBook, providing the most direct evidence to date for these two long-rumored hardware products.
In the latest issue of the "Power On" newsletter, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman sorted out a number of adjustments in the first batch of developer beta versions, pointing out that these changes are not simply software function upgrades, but paving the way for new hardware forms, including the foldable iPhone Fold and the touch-enabled MacBook. He believes that these clues constitute the "first substantial evidence" of the existence of the above-mentioned devices within Apple.
In terms of folding screen iPhones, the most eye-catching feature is the “iPhone Mirroring” feature update in macOS 27. The tool can now be stretched to a nearly iPad-style widescreen layout, which is interpreted as preparation for a folding iPhone whose main screen is similar to a tablet in size when unfolded. If the future iPhone Fold has a screen ratio closer to a tablet when unfolded, this adaptation could make the experience of mirroring an iPhone on a Mac more natural.
More direct technical signs come from multiple new field references in the iOS 27 system code. The developer found "foldState", "angleDegrees" and entries related to "hardware display number" in the code, which are considered to be key parameters used to determine the folding angle and shape of the device. This type of status and angle detection logic is highly consistent with the need for foldable devices to switch UI layouts at different opening and closing angles, so it is considered to be the underlying support reserved for the folding screen iPhone.
In addition, the "app adaptability" that Apple emphasized to developers in this year's WWDC keynote speech has also been examined in a new context. Apple requires developers to pay more attention to the performance of the same application on multiple screen sizes and ratios. This can be understood as ordinary size difference adaptation between traditional iPhone models, but when combined with the rumored more square folding screen main display form, it becomes meaningful. Industry opinion believes that this emphasis on adaptability is likely to be a warm-up for more extreme screen ratios and variable form devices in the future.
For the touch version of MacBook, the latest system changes also provide many clues. First up are the big changes to Sidecar functionality: macOS 27 now supports full system-wide acceptance of touch input when used with iPad. This upgrade is ostensibly to improve the Sidecar experience, but architecturally it means that the interface and interaction layer of macOS have been systematically adjusted to better accept finger touch operations. Some analysts believe that the comprehensive opening of this touch interface is likely to prepare for future Mac notebooks equipped with touch screens.
Secondly, macOS has added new interactive elements such as “pull-down to refresh” in interface design that are more common on smartphones and tablets. This type of gesture is more intuitive in a touch environment, and is currently available in trackpad and mouse-based operations. However, if the future MacBook introduces a touch screen, these existing gestures will be completed directly on the screen, thus further shortening the gap in interaction habits between macOS and iPadOS.
Another change that's causing concern is the new "pill-shaped" Siri search and Ask interface on Mac. Gurman pointed out that this interface form is quite suitable for presentation in an area similar to the iPhone's "Dynamic Island" style. He speculated that this design may indicate that future touch MacBooks will adopt a new interface element layout, integrating Siri's interactive portal more deeply into the top area of the screen, thereby forming a visual and interactive integrated experience similar to that on the current iPhone.
Based on various clues, Gurman regarded Apple's adjustments in iOS 27 and macOS 27 as the "first wave of official evidence" for the folding screen iPhone and touch MacBook. He believed that they were beyond the scope of regular iterations and were more like system-level preparation projects for new forms of hardware. Apple has not yet made any public statement about such products, but in previous product iterations, system code and beta function changes have often exposed the hardware direction many times in advance. Therefore, the above findings have further strengthened the outside world's expectations for the upcoming iPhone Fold and touch MacBook.