Apple Analyst Kuo: First Foldable iPhone "Ultra" Will Be in Very Short Supply at Launch

Low quantities at the start of September, when Apple holds its annual press conference, are expected this year to include the announcement of the foldable iPhone, rumored to be called Ultra. The Ultra has not yet been officially announced. This fall, there are only expected to be three new models; the iPhone 18, 18e and possibly Air 2 are reportedly not planned until spring 2027.

Apple is reportedly taking a similar approach to the iPhone X: while the fall devices will be presented together in September, the availability of the Ultra will be (slightly) pushed back. A similar bottleneck only occurred with the iPhone X in October 2017. The iPhone X was presented in September 2017 alongside the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, while the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus were already available 10 days after their presentation. Pre-orders for the X, Apple's first model with Face ID facial recognition and a camera "notch," did not begin until late October, with a sales launch on November 3.

Unit Numbers and Availability

A maximum of one million iPhone Ultras are expected to actually be available for shipment at the initial date. According to his sources, between 7 and 8 million units of the foldable will be produced in the second half of 2026. The 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max models expected alongside the Ultra will ship up to 22 million units in the third quarter alone, according to Kuo. The Apple flagship alone is expected to sell up to 22 million units in the third quarter.

Availability will then remain poor through December. Kuo expects that it will be difficult to get an Ultra even by December. The supply chain and carriers anticipate that Apple will sell out the devices at the pre-order launch despite the initially rather small unit numbers, with another roughly seven million units by the end of the year.

Price and Features

In terms of price, also due to the ongoing memory crisis and the hardware price increases Apple has implemented recently, the Ultra is estimated to cost at least $2,300 to $2,500. Kuo now estimates between $2,300 and $2,500 USD (excluding sales tax). In Europe, the foldable could potentially cost over €2,700.

Insiders have been assuming for months that the device will be wider than a regular iPhone and will feature a 5.5-inch outer display. The device is said to be less than five millimeters thin when unfolded and to have two cameras. When unfolded, the device will likely be the size of an iPad mini, meaning it will be equipped with a 7.8-inch inner display.

Risks: Scalpers and Special Variants

Apple has in fact always had problems selling "special variants" of its iPhones, such as the iPhone Air. According to Kuo, it remains to be seen whether the Ultra will be a hit. Actual demand will only be measurable from late 2026 through the first quarter of 2027. Whether the Ultra is a success for Apple will only be assessable next year, due to the supply constraints.

He is already stoking fears of "scalpers" who could try to hawk the foldable iPhone at exorbitant prices on various online marketplaces. (aam, 6.7.2026)