iPhone Ultra Foldable May Repeat the iPhone X Launch Story, Kuo Reports

The iPhone Ultra, Apple's first foldable iPhone, will likely "repeat the iPhone X story" when it arrives later this year, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In a new report, Kuo says Apple is set to show the device alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in September, while actual orders may not open until weeks later.

A September reveal, a later on-sale date
Kuo says manufacturing challenges have limited early production of the foldable, which is reportedly named iPhone Ultra. As a result, the phone is expected to be announced together with the iPhone 18 Pro models but reach buyers at some point after them, with pre-orders possibly not starting until the fourth quarter of 2026.

The iPhone X parallel
The pattern echoes 2017. Apple announced the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X on September 12 of that year. The iPhone 8 pair went up for pre-order three days later, while iPhone X pre-orders started six weeks after the event, on October 27. Kuo expects the foldable to follow a similar split timeline: on stage in September, on sale well after.

A price between $2,299 and $2,499
Kuo estimates a US starting price of roughly $2,299 to $2,499, which would make this the most expensive iPhone Apple has ever sold. That figure sits far above the current Pro Max flagship and close to the top book-style foldables from Samsung and Huawei.

Supply will be tight
Apple's suppliers are expected to ship roughly 7 to 8 million foldable iPhones in 2026, against 20 to 22 million units of the two iPhone 18 Pro models combined. Kuo believes the phone could sell out immediately after pre-orders open, with delivery estimates quickly stretching to four to six weeks or longer.

What the foldable is expected to be
Reports describe a book-style design with an outer display around 5.5 inches and an inner screen around 7.8 inches that opens flat with a minimal crease down the middle. None of this is confirmed by Apple, so treat every detail as a report rather than fact. The full analyst note is covered at MacRumors.

What this means for buyers
If the timeline holds, expect the announcement in September and a wait until at least October to place an order. Anyone planning to buy at launch should be ready the moment pre-orders open, since early stock is likely to be thin and wait times long. For everyone else, the safer play is to let the first production wave pass and order once delivery estimates settle.

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