What Apple’s $2,500 Foldable iPhone Ultra Really Is
The foldable iPhone Ultra is Apple’s first book-style iPhone with a folding OLED display, priced around USD 2,500 (approx. RM11,500), positioned above the Pro Max line and aimed at turning foldable phones into a mainstream premium option instead of a niche experiment. Apple has reportedly told suppliers to prepare roughly 10 million foldable iPhone Ultra units ahead of a late 2026 launch, with the device expected to appear alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max at a fall event. That production number is small next to standard iPhones, but very large for a first-generation foldable, signaling that Apple sees real demand rather than a limited “concept” run.
The 10 Million-Unit Signal: Foldables as a New Premium Default
Apple has increased iPhone Fold production guidance from 7–8 million units to 10 million units for 2026, a 30% jump that only happens when manufacturing headaches are largely fixed. Earlier hinge and circuit board issues that threatened the September launch window now appear resolved, and higher volume “indicates production is now stable enough to support it.” Yet this is not a vanity run: Apple has reportedly ordered about 10 million display panels for the Ultra versus roughly 90 million for the iPhone 18 Pro line, making the foldable about 4.5% of expected iPhone volume. In the folding-display world, that is huge. The device is projected to account for about 29% of all folding display orders in 2026, which means Apple is not treating Ultra as a sideshow—it’s treating it as a pillar of the premium lineup.
Premium Phone Pricing: A MacBook-Level iPhone
Analysts expect the foldable iPhone Ultra’s average selling price to sit near USD 2,500 (approx. RM11,500), with top configurations pushing toward USD 3,000 (approx. RM13,800). That easily tops the USD 1,199 (approx. RM5,500) Pro Max and clears rival foldables, which usually sit between USD 1,799 and USD 1,999 (approx. RM8,300–RM9,200). This is premium phone pricing taken to an extreme. One quotable takeaway: “Apple is expected to capture over 22% of foldable unit share and 34% of total foldable market value in year one,” thanks to that sky-high average price. There’s a strategic angle here. Higher Ultra margins may help absorb rising component costs without raising prices on mainstream iPhone 18 models—a “pressure valve dressed up as a product launch.” In other words, your dream foldable is also Apple’s financial shock absorber.
The Foldable Phone Depreciation Trap
Here’s the part Apple won’t highlight on stage: foldable phone depreciation is brutal. Resale data shows foldables lose an average of 64.6% of their value in 12 months, compared with 55.3% for traditional flagships. Applied to a USD 2,000 (approx. RM9,200) foldable, that leaves the phone worth around USD 708 (approx. RM3,250) after one year—a loss of USD 1,292 (approx. RM5,930). One quotable line from resale analysis is blunt: “Foldables lose more resale value in their first year than any other smartphone category.” Apple historically does better on value retention, with recent iPhones keeping around 51.5% of value after 12 months, but even optimistic math on a USD 2,000 device still implies close to a USD 1,000 (approx. RM4,600) hit. First-generation foldables tend to perform worst, thanks to durability doubts, screen-crease anxiety, and quick second-generation improvements that push early adopters off a steep cliff.
Should You Plan Your Next Upgrade Around a Foldable Ultra?
Apple’s 10 million-unit target tells you everything about its confidence: this foldable iPhone Ultra is not a tech demo, it’s a bid to make foldables a normal choice for premium buyers. IDC forecasts that Apple could command over 22% of foldable unit share and 34% of the market’s value in the first year, almost entirely because of that high price. If you are an iOS loyalist who ignored existing foldables, this is the moment Apple wants you to pay attention—and pay more. But the resale math is ugly, and early foldable buyers are effectively paying an “early-adopter tax” to test an unproven category. If you care most about long-term value, a slab-style iPhone 18 may still be the smarter upgrade. If you want the foldable experience, go in knowing you’re buying a luxury gadget first and a rational investment second.
