Apple's first foldable iPhone gets new rumored launch date and an astonishing price point

Apple's first foldable device, rumored to be called the iPhone Fold/Ultra, has been in development behind the scenes for many years now and will use panels from Samsung Display.

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Previous reports from insiders citing people familiar with Apple's supply chain for its upcoming foldable stated that Apple set extremely strict requirements for the design of the foldable iPhone, including solving the crease problem across all foldable devices - Apple requires a crease-less iPhone. That stipulation in itself is a major engineering challenge that involves several smaller, yet equally complex engineering problems, such as designing a hinge that enables creaseless folding and a display that doesn't crease when folded.

A report from an Asian publication citing two Apple supply chain partners claims the iPhone Ultra won't hit stores in early 2027 due to "scheduling factors." These comments came from Largan Precision's CEO, Adam Lin, who added that the delays may result in Apple's upcoming device being "early next year".

Since Apple hasn't announced any delay for the iPhone 18 generation, speculation has led to the conclusion that Lin is referring to an unannounced Apple product, such as the iPhone Ultra.

Additionally, the report claims Apple will begin selling the iPhone Ultra at $2,000, and there will be a $2,200 variant, but that device will offer higher performance. Given the extremely inflated prices of RAM and storage, a delay in what will be Apple's most expensive iPhone ever makes sense, especially if it gives component manufacturers time to get online and reset supply pressure, enabling Apple to achieve even larger profit margins on its devices.

This isn't the first time we have heard about delays with Apple's upcoming foldable, as it was only in May this year rumors surfaced about a major roadblock being the hinge, as it failed to meet quality control standards set by Apple.