Apple’s highly anticipated foldable iPhone is launching this fall, but a new report today claims you might have to wait a little longer (and save up a ton of money) to actually buy it.
A new report from Macworld today claims that the iPhone Ultra (or iPhone Fold) will be announced alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models, but will ship later in the year. The report cites anonymous “sources familiar with Apple’s supply chain,” explaining that iPhone 18 Pro models are further along in mass production than the iPhone Ultra.
The report likens the situation to the iPhone 8 and iPhone X launch in 2017. Apple announced the iPhone 8 and iPhone X at the same time, and the iPhone 8 was released a week later like usual. The iPhone X, however, didn’t ultimately ship to customers until November.
Today’s report notes that the difference in launch times between the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra might not be as dramatic as the gap between the iPhone 8 and iPhone X.
While the regular Pro models are already further along in production, with few external changes from the current model, the Ultra remains behind due to its more advanced design.
Once again, this doesn’t mean that Apple will announce the iPhone Ultra at a later date, or even that it won’t take as long to ship as the iPhone X. But given that mass production hasn’t started yet, it’s quite likely that only the iPhone 18 Pro will hit stores immediately after Apple’s September event, with the Ultra following a few weeks later.
In April, Bloomberg reported that Apple was “operating with a plan” to release the foldable iPhone at the same time or “very soon after” the iPhone 18 Pro models. The report noted, however, that timing wasn’t final and could change.
Finally, today’s report also corroborates expectations that the iPhone Ultra will be expensive.
“While details about the final price are still somewhat unclear, our sources believe prices for the iPhone Ultra could reach as high as $2,500, depending on the configuration,” according to the story. This is primarily due to the foldable display and hinge.
One thing to keep in mind is that Apple is making a lot more iPhone 18 Pro units than it’s making iPhone Ultra units. The foldable iPhone will be expensive and sell in much lower volume than the iPhone 18 Pro.
So even though mass production of the iPhone Ultra is behind that of the iPhone 18 Pro, it might not be too hard for Apple to catch up, since the volume will be significantly lower.
Are you planning to buy an iPhone Ultra this fall? How much are you willing to spend on it? Let us know down in the comments.
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