New Betas From Apple Provide Some Clues About Future IPhones and MacBooks.
While Apple Silicon processors have revolutionized the company’s product lineup (especially the Mac), Apple’s overall design hasn’t changed significantly in recent years. Sure, the iPhone 17 Pro looks slightly different from the iPhone 16 Pro, but to most, they’re virtually identical. Meanwhile, the 2026 MacBook Pro looks exactly the same as the 2022 MacBook Pro—to find out which M-series chip it uses, you’ll need to test it first.
All of this could change next year. Apple is rumored to be releasing two entirely new devices in the near future: a foldable iPhone and a touchscreen MacBook . These products will certainly be a departure from Apple’s usual lineup, offering users the first opportunity to purchase devices with such features within the Apple ecosystem. These devices are reportedly expected to launch during this year’s update cycle—that is, during the iOS 27 and macOS 27 release cycles. As such, many of us wondered if Apple would hint at these new products at WWDC last week , when the company officially announced the upcoming updates. They didn’t, but they may have dropped some clues that these devices are indeed coming soon.
As Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports , Apple’s first betas of iOS 27 and macOS 27 contain clues about the imminent release of a foldable iPhone and a touchscreen MacBook, respectively. While neither OS features flashing lights screaming “These products are coming soon!” there are some unmistakable clues.
Evidence of the iPhone Fold’s existence in Apple beta versions
Let’s first consider Apple’s hints at a potential foldable iPhone. Gurman says the most obvious evidence here comes from macOS 27: the updated iPhone Mirroring app now allows you to stretch the window to display windows like on an iPad, while still using the same iOS software. While this is convenient for macOS users, this design suggests Apple is considering different window sizes for iOS and, likely, integrating widescreen windows into a foldable device.
In this regard, Apple has been strongly encouraging developers to create software with “responsive apps” in mind. This philosophy is to create apps that fit a wide range of screen sizes, and given that the iPhone currently only supports two aspect ratios, this advice likely has more to do with the upcoming iPhone Fold. Perhaps the least obvious, but most telling piece of evidence: iOS 27 beta 1 contains code that, according to Gurman, directly references a foldable device. It mentions a product with “multiple displays,” a large number of sensors, and the ability to detect the degree to which the device is “open.” Unless Apple is releasing a MacBook running iOS, this certainly sounds like a foldable iPhone.
Apple beta software has revealed signs of a touchscreen on the MacBook.
If you’re brave enough to test the macOS 27 beta on your Mac, you might notice a unique new feature: Apple now lets you drag down different pages to refresh their contents, similar to how it works in iOS and iPadOS. For example, you can use your trackpad or mouse to drag down the Inbox in the Mail app to find new messages. It’s a handy way to simplify the user interface across devices, but it also seems like Apple is bringing touch gestures to macOS… perhaps in anticipation of the arrival of touchscreen Macs? This is the first evidence from Gurman.
Secondly, there’s Sidecar, which lets you turn your iPad into an external display for your Mac. This isn’t anything new, but what’s new is that the macOS window on your iPad is now touch-enabled. Previously, interacting with macOS on a tablet required an Apple Pencil, mouse, or trackpad, but with the beta, for the first time, you can interact with macOS using a touchscreen.
Finally, the Siri “Search or Ask a Question” interface appears as a pill on macOS, just like on iOS. On iOS, this is because this feature is located in Dynamic Island, which is not the case on the Mac. Gurman says he reported that Apple’s touchscreen MacBook will ship with Dynamic Island; therefore, this design decision confirms his general hypothesis.
When might a foldable iPhone or touchscreen MacBook be released?
Apple typically never officially releases news about its upcoming products before their official announcement, so we can’t say for sure when these devices might arrive. However, rumors of a foldable iPhone’s imminent arrival have been rife this year, and the iOS 27 beta seems to only reinforce them. The company’s first foldable smartphone can be expected to debut at Apple’s annual iPhone event, likely in September. Predicting when the touchscreen MacBook might arrive is more difficult, as Apple has never had a clear schedule for laptop announcements. For his part, Ghuman expects it to arrive in late 2026 or early 2027 .