While Apple has been in no hurry to launch a folding iPhone, it does now seem like we’re getting closer to the day when it finally happens.
Folding smartphones are never cheap, but a new report today suggests that the price could be even higher than some have anticipated, namely “above $2,000 and $2,500” …
A folding iPhone in 2026 is looking plausible
We’ve been hearing reports of Apple working on a folding iPhone for more than a decade now, the idea getting greater impetus when the first Android models launched. As with so many Apple rumors, the foldable iPhone was always expected to launch in 1-2 years.
But the idea of a 2026 launch is gaining in credibility, especially now that the company is said to have a solution to the biggest problem with the form-factor: the very visible crease in the center of the unfolded screen.
A supply-chain report last week suggested Apple had finally approved display samples provided by Samsung, and the idea was given additional weight by Oppo’s latest foldable, which did indeed demonstrate dramatic improvement over earlier generations of folding screens.
Report of a $2,000 to $2,500 price tag
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today suggests that the price could be even higher than expected.
The first-generation foldable iPhone is expected to retail above $2,000 and $2,500, leveraging the iPhone’s status as a must-have device and Apple’s loyal fanbase.
But it’s pure guesswork
Kuo was once an extremely reliable analyst given his extensive access to Apple’s supply-chain. He spent a great deal of time on the ground in China, and had visibility into many components destined for Apple products.
However, we’ve previously noted that two things have changed since then. First, his change of employment means that he appears to spend a lot less time visiting suppliers. Second, he has taken to posting a great deal of mere speculation – his opinions rather than things evidenced in the supply-chain.
In particular, while supply-chain sources can sometimes tell us things about Apple’s product plans, the only people who have any knowledge of the company’s pricing plans this far out are in the company’s C-suite.
So Kuo has no idea about the planned price of the first folding iPhone. He’s instead simply guessing, based on the prices of existing folding phones, then adding a guessed Apple premium.
Specifically, I think he may be looking at that Oppo Find 5, the first phone to get close to eliminating a visible crease. That’s launched at the equivalent of around $1,870, so guessing that an Apple version would go on sale at somewhere north of $2k would be logical enough – but a guess is all it is.
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