An Apple analyst has dented hopes that the company's rumored foldable "iPhone Ultra" will be released alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models this September.
In his latest analysis of Apple's supply chain movements, Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone Ultra will be unveiled the same day as the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, but it likely won't be officially launched at the same time as those devices.
Kuo likened Apple's plan this fall to a repeat of the "iPhone X story" in 2017. That year, Apple announced the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X on September 12, with pre-orders for the iPhone 8 models starting three days later. However it was six weeks before pre-orders for the iPhone X went live.
Similarly, Kuo predicts that pre-orders for the foldable iPhone may not start until the fourth quarter of 2026, suggesting a delay until October or later. Despite the waiting period, Kuo believes that the device could sell out right after pre-orders open, with delivery lead times quickly stretching to 4-6 weeks or longer.
Apple has reportedly told suppliers to prepare to make approximately 10 million foldable iPhones this year, up from a previous forecast of about 7-8 million units a few months ago. Kuo estimated that the foldable iPhone could have a starting price of around $2,299 to $2,499. Meanwhile, IDC has predicted that the foldable will carry an average selling price of $2,500, with storage options potentially priced as high as $3,000.
Apple's book-style foldable iPhone is rumored to feature a 7.8-inch inner display and a 5.5-inch cover display, along with Touch ID instead of Face ID, an A20 chip, and Apple's C2 modem.
