Apple has raised its production target for the foldable iPhone to roughly 10 million units for 2026, up from the 7 to 8 million it had been planning just a few months ago.
The device is expected to arrive in September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro lineup and could carry a starting price of $2,500.
IDC analysts have pegged the average selling price at $2,500, with higher storage configurations potentially reaching $3,000.
Apple has already raised prices on MacBooks and iPads this year in response to component costs, and the iPhone lineup has not seen increases yet. The fall product cycle would give Apple an opportunity to reset pricing across the board.
The foldable is expected to use a book-style form factor with a 5.5-inch cover display on the outside and a 7.8-inch screen inside.
Rather than Face ID, Apple appears to be going with Touch ID. The device would run on the A20 chip paired with Apple’s C2 modem.
Reports have suggested it could launch under the name iPhone Ultra, extending a brand Apple has used for the Apple Watch and Mac Pro lines.
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Engineering work on the hinge mechanism has been resolved, but that resolution came late enough that the initial shipment after launch will likely be limited.
A larger production run is not expected to get underway until late in the year. For buyers who plan to order on day one, availability could be tighter than it will be as we head into the holiday season.
The broader iPhone 18 push is substantial. Apple has booked parts for around 80 million smartphones covering the second half of 2026, with some suppliers told to expect orders as high as 85 million units. Full-year production across the entire iPhone lineup is projected to exceed 220 million units.
That scale matters right now. An industry-wide shortage of memory components has forced competitors, including Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo, to cut their own annual production targets below 100 million units each.
Apple’s purchasing agreements with suppliers have left it better insulated from those constraints, allowing it to lock in component supply while rivals pull back.
The company has also instructed suppliers to hold iPhone 17 components in reserve for use in the iPhone 18 lineup, a sign the company is actively managing its parts pipeline across model generations rather than treating each cycle as a clean break.
