Nikkei Asia reports that the folding iPhone (tentative name: iPhone Ultra) is difficult to manufacture, and as of late August 2026, production was only a few hundred units per day.
Even if we assume that “several hundred” is a relatively large number of 900 units, the simple calculation would be approximately 27,000 units per month. This information indicates that the number of supplies immediately after release may be quite limited.
It is reported that the number of cars per day is only a few hundred.
According to Nikkei Asia, the quality standards required by Apple for the iPhone Ultra are extremely strict, and even as of late August 2026, only a few hundred units were being produced per day.
In particular, Apple requested further improvements in the yield rate (rate of non-defective products) regarding the flatness of the main body surface and the performance of the hinge, and is reported to have conducted additional verification in August to confirm whether mass production is possible.
As a result of this additional verification, the start of full-scale commercial production appears to have been delayed several weeks from the original plan. Apple and its suppliers are said to be working quickly to ramp up production.
Even with 900 units, monthly production is approximately 27,000 units.
The expression “several hundred units” has a wide range of meaning, but if we assume that we can manufacture 900 units a day, that would be approximately 27,000 units in 30 days.
This is just a simple calculation assuming that the production pace as of late August is maintained, and does not mean that the same production volume will continue in the future.
The iPhone Ultra is at the start-up stage of mass production, and it is assumed that the number of units manufactured per day will increase significantly in the future due to improvements in the production process.
A big difference from the annual production plan of 10 million units
Nikkei Asia previously reported that Apple asked suppliers to prepare for the production of approximately 10 million iPhone Ultra units by 2026.
Previous production plans had been for 7 to 8 million units, but Apple anticipated demand and increased the production plan to approximately 10 million units.
If we were to manufacture 10 million units at the current pace of 900 units per day in late August, it would take approximately 11,111 days, or more than 30 years based on simple calculations.
Of course, in reality, it is assumed that the mass production scale will be expanded in stages, so this calculation is a reference value that shows how large the difference is between the current production pace and the annual plan.
Concerns about initial inventory shortages grow
If Nikkei Asia’s latest report is true, production will need to increase significantly in the short term in order to have enough stock for the September launch.
Previously, it was predicted that the number of iPhone Ultra units shipped in the third quarter of 2026 would be between 500,000 and 1 million units.
This information of several hundred units per day is likely to reinforce the previous prediction that the number of units supplied at the time of release will be significantly lower than that of the iPhone 18 Pro series.
Will the delivery date be extended immediately after reservations start?
There have been multiple predictions regarding the release date of iPhone Ultra.
- Released approximately 6 weeks later than the iPhone18 Pro series
- Pre-released in the US, followed by release in other countries and regions
- Although it will be released at the same time as the iPhone 18 Pro series, initial stock is extremely small.
At the moment, Apple is expected to announce the iPhone Ultra at an event in September, but we will have to wait for the official announcement regarding the actual release area and number of supplies.
The release date may end in a short time
If the initial supply is extremely low and orders are concentrated worldwide, it is possible that the stock for the release date will be exhausted within a short period of time after pre-orders begin.
If you want to get it on the release date, you can shorten the ordering process by deciding on the specifications you plan to purchase, such as body color and storage capacity, after the announcement and saving them in advance in the Apple Store app.
If you are planning to purchase an iPhone Ultra, it will be more important than ever for previous iPhones to be prepared to place an order immediately after pre-orders begin.
Source: Nikkei Asia via MacRumors
Photo: Apple Hub/Facebook
Source: iPhone Mania
