Foldable iPhone Expected to Launch Next Year, Costing Around $2,000

Apple will launch its long-rumored foldable iPhone next year with a ~$2,000 premium price tag attached, expects well-connected Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman.

Gurman's comments on Apple's launch plans for its first foldable device appeared in the Q&A section of his latest Power On newsletter. Earlier this month, the reporter said Apple's foldable iPhone could be arriving "as early as 2026," so his latest comments suggest his conviction has strengthened that 2026 will indeed be the year of the foldable iPhone, based on his sources.

According to analyst Jeff Pu, the device recently entered the New Product Introduction (NPI) phase at Foxconn, with mass production slated to begin in the second half of 2026.

Apple's foldable iPhone is said to be similar in style to Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold, which uses a book-style folding mechanism, rather than the clamshell design of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. Gurman says Apple's version will have "less of a screen crease" when it's open. Notably, recent reports have suggested that the display on Apple's first foldable will look virtually crease-free to the human eye.

According to Gurman, the device will take advantage of the display, battery, modem, and chip advances that Apple has made in its development of the iPhone 17 Air, which is expected to replace the "Plus" model in Apple's smartphone lineup this year.

As for pricing, Gurman expects the device to be around $2,000. According to a recent Barclays Bank investor research note, Apple's first foldable iPhone could have a starting price in the $2,300 range in the United States, which would make it the most expensive iPhone model ever. This lines up with a previous report by supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, in which he predicted that the first foldable iPhone would be priced between $2,000 and $2,500.