The next Apple iPhone launch is expected this September — read this for exactly when — but although it’s thought that the keynote will reveal the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and the first foldable, possibly called iPhone Ultra, that last one could be significantly delayed. Here’s the latest.
iPhone Ultra: Return Of The iPhone X Launch Strategy?
In an extensive post on X, headlined, “Foldable iPhone May Repeat the iPhone X Story,” analyst Ming-Chi Kuo from TFI Securities suggested that, like the iPhone X, the foldable iPhone could be announced at the same keynote as Apple’s other products but then be held until later in the year for its on-sale date.
In 2017, Apple did something similar when the iPhone X went on sale in November while the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus hit stores in September.
Like the iPhone X, the folding iPhone reflects an all-new product category. Where the iPhone X introduced Face ID and an all-screen front, the iPhone Ultra will have the complicated design requirements unique to folding phones.
“The foldable iPhone is likely to repeat what happened with the iPhone X in 2017: it may be announced alongside the other new models, but with pre-orders and official sales both coming later,” Kuo said.
Production Bottlenecks And Scalper Resales
The analyst said that while it was not likely that pre-orders would be delayed until the beginning of next year, the folding phone “could sell out immediately after pre-orders open, with delivery lead times quickly stretching to 4–6 weeks or longer and remaining there through December. Scarce initial supply, a highly recognizable design, and an innovative user experience should all support a short-term resale premium; resale prices 50–100% above the official price would not be out of the question.”
The report also suggested that production issues and supply constraints should improve by the end of the year, after which it will become clear whether the “demand for the foldable iPhone is sustainable,” Kuo said.
None of this is great news for consumers eager to get their hands on a folding iPhone. It is, after all, a highly anticipated device, so if it is delayed, the need to be speedy when pre-orders open will be especially important.