According to the latest news, Apple is expected to display its first foldable screen phone, iPhone Ultra, at a press conference on September 8. However, due to technical bottlenecks in mass production of hinges and folding screens, the phone may not be released simultaneously with the iPhone 18 Pro series. Reports indicate that the iPhone Ultra may be limited to the U.S. market during the initial launch period, and the price will not be announced immediately on the day of the launch. Its final price is expected to be significantly higher than that of general flagship models, even higher than the current SAMSUNG Galaxy Z Fold8.
Apple is expected to hold its autumn conference on September 8. In addition to the highly anticipated iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, it is rumored that the first folding screen mobile phone iPhone Ultra will also be unveiled on the same stage. However, according to a latest industry report from Australia, although the iPhone Ultra will appear at the conference, the actual launch time will not be synchronized with the iPhone 18 Pro series, which means that users will have to wait longer to get this new product.
In terms of listing arrangements, the report revealed that the first batch of iPhone Ultra is likely to be limited to the domestic market of the United States, and will then gradually expand to a few core markets such as China. Australia and other places are clearly not included in the first wave of sales. It is worth noting that it is rumored that Apple will only display the appearance of the iPhone Ultra at the September conference and will not announce the release date and pricing of the iPhone Ultra on the spot. The market generally expects that the price of this folding screen phone will be much higher than the Pro Max series. Referring to the current price of SAMSUNG Galaxy Z Fold8 in Australia at AU$2,999, the report predicts that the iPhone Ultra will be priced at least AU$700 higher than the former, and the final price may reach AU$3,699 (equivalent to about US$2,613).
The main reason for the significant delay in the listing plan is that the foundry is reportedly facing technical difficulties. Supply chain sources revealed that Apple encountered more complicated difficulties than expected when conducting product production verification testing. Among them, the design of the hinge structure and folding screen became the biggest obstacles. The mass production plan of the aircraft was originally scheduled to start in June, but was later postponed to August, and the current progress is still repeatedly hindered. Sources indicate that until late July, major OEM Foxconn was still making internal adjustments to its mass production plan. Some insiders estimate that the engineering verification process may further delay mass production by two months.
Although the original Australian report called this new product iPhone Fold, and mistakenly believed that Apple would launch two different models of iPhone Ultra and iPhone Fold at the same time, based on market rumors in recent months, the industry has generally confirmed that Ultra is the final name of the folding screen phone. If the hardware mass production progress really fails to catch up with the global launch, I believe that many users who are interested in switching to Apple’s folding screen mobile phones will have to wait patiently.
