Apple’s foldable iPhone will start at $2,199 and could approach $3,000 with higher storage configurations, according to Bloomberg.
We now have a closer look at how Apple brought the device to completion ahead of its expected September 9 announcement.
Apple originally wanted to keep the starting price below $2,000, settling on $1,999 as a target. The number was a deliberate nod to the iPhone X, which started at $999 in 2017.
A global memory shortage changed those plans. Apple expects the higher price to cause some sticker shock, but believes customers already willing to spend around $2,000 on high-end conventional iPhones will also pay a premium for a foldable model.
How the foldable iPhone got started
The project picked up momentum after Tim Cook returned from a trip to Asia around 2020. He came back “unusually energized” after seeing how widely foldable phones from Samsung and Huawei had been adopted.
Cook pushed Apple to accelerate the project and took a more hands-on role than usual for a CEO whose background is in operations rather than engineering.
Apple had already been researching foldable displays and related components for years. That work began before Samsung introduced the first Galaxy Fold in 2019, but the project stalled over disagreements about what Apple should actually build.
One early idea was an iPad mini that could fold out into a larger tablet. Cook ultimately pushed the team toward a conventional-sized phone that could unfold into something bigger.
The project began under Dan Riccio, who led Apple’s hardware engineering organization before John Ternus took over.
Ternus later became one of the project’s strongest advocates and helped bring it to completion alongside Cook. With Ternus now running Apple, the foldable iPhone will also be an early test of his tenure as CEO.
The engineering challenges
Apple had four major problems to solve: hiding the display crease, making the hinge reliable, developing flexible cover glass for the inner screen, and putting a camera underneath the display.
The final design uses a hinge made from titanium and aluminum, along with custom cover glass developed with Corning.
Inside, the foldable will have a 7.8-inch display, with a 5.5-inch screen on the outside. Its short, wide proportions are unusual for a foldable.
During development, Apple compared the folded device to a passport and the open version to a Magic Trackpad, with the distinctive shape also helping set it apart from competing designs.
The compromises Apple is making
The foldable iPhone won’t match Apple’s conventional flagships in every respect. It is expected to be less durable, with a weaker camera system and shorter battery life than the company’s standard high-end models.
Apple nevertheless believes its build quality will put the device ahead of competing foldables. The company also sees its software and broader ecosystem as an advantage over Android rivals.
Inside Apple, confidence in the product is reportedly high. Employees believe “the company will sell every foldable phone it can produce.”
Apple is expected to officially unveil the device at its “Surprise and Shine” event on September 9.
