The iPhone Ultra’s Big Problem: Foldable Glamour, Used-Phone Reality
Apple’s foldable iPhone Ultra is a high-priced, hinge-based flagship entering a market where foldable phone resale value collapses far faster than traditional slab-style devices, exposing buyers to steeper first-year losses than almost any other mainstream smartphone category on sale today. That’s the uncomfortable truth hiding behind the rumored USD 2,500 (approx. RM11,500) launch positioning. Apple has told suppliers to prepare roughly 10 million units ahead of an expected late 2026 debut, later tempering manufacturing guidance toward 3 million as caution set in about demand at this level. At the same time, resale marketplace SellCell has applied current foldable phone depreciation rates to Apple’s device, projecting a scenario where a USD 2,000 (approx. RM9,200) foldable could be worth only USD 708 (approx. RM3,260) after twelve months. If you care about what your phone is worth when you upgrade, the math around this launch should make you pause.
Why Foldables Bleed Value Faster Than Traditional Flagships
Foldable phone depreciation rate data is brutal: foldables lose an average of 64.6% of their value within a year, while traditional flagships shed 55.3%. In practice, that means foldable owners absorb around USD 997 (approx. RM4,590) in depreciation versus USD 605 (approx. RM2,790) for slab-phone buyers — a USD 392 (approx. RM1,800) penalty for choosing the hinge. Five of the six largest value drops in SellCell’s dataset belong to foldables, with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 1TB losing USD 1,479.99 (approx. RM6,810) in twelve months. First-generation foldables are the worst performers: durability worries, crease anxiety, and a fast "Gen 2" improvement cycle create a sharp resale cliff where used foldable phone value plummets long before the device physically fails. According to SellCell, "Foldables lose more resale value in their first year than any other smartphone category", and that isn’t a flaw you can fix with nicer materials alone.
Apple’s Track Record Meets the Harsh Foldable Market
On paper, Apple should soften the blow. Its recent iPhone lineup retained about 51.5% of value after 12 months, beating major Android rivals across the board. BankMyCell data shows iPhones typically lose around 16.7% in year one versus roughly 33% for Android. That history is why some buyers assume the iPhone Ultra depreciation story will be more forgiving. But the numbers say otherwise. Even using Apple-style retention on a USD 2,000 (approx. RM9,200) foldable still leaves close to USD 970 (approx. RM4,470) gone in year one. Apply current Android foldable rates and you are facing a USD 1,292 (approx. RM5,950) hit, leaving the phone worth about USD 708 (approx. RM3,260). In other words, Apple’s premium branding and stronger resale track record will not save you from the structural drag of this category. The "Apple cushion" is real, but it does not erase a four‑figure loss on a used foldable phone value curve shaped by risk and rapid iteration.
A $2,500 Foldable in a Market Built on Uncertainty
The broader context makes Apple’s move feel like a high-stakes bet rather than a safe upgrade path. Samsung, Huawei, and Google have already spent years iterating on foldables while Apple watched from the sidelines, learning from creases, cracked hinges, and software quirks. Now it is arriving late with what could be the most expensive iPhone ever, with analyst estimates placing the average selling price near USD 2,500 (approx. RM11,500) and top configurations pushing even higher. Supply-chain reporting suggests the Ultra’s elevated margins may act as a pressure valve, helping Apple absorb rising component costs without hiking prices on more mainstream iPhones. Meanwhile, Samsung Display has secured a three-year exclusive OLED panel deal for this form factor, ensuring it profits whether the Ultra sells out or stalls. In this environment, buying at launch "means taking the full depreciation hit on the chin for an unproven product category," as SellCell bluntly puts it.
What Buyers Should Do: Treat the iPhone Ultra as an Experience, Not an Asset
The uncomfortable takeaway is simple: if you buy Apple’s foldable iPhone Ultra, you should do it for the experience, not as a carefully managed asset. The form factor remains an expensive novelty where resale dynamics punish early adopters harder than almost any other device type. How the iPhone Fold actually depreciates will answer a bigger question — whether foldables can escape that trap or stay a luxury that only deep pockets can stomach. For now, the foldable phone depreciation rate and current projections around iPhone Ultra depreciation say you are paying too much if you expect traditional iPhone-level value retention. Premium materials, a next‑gen chip, and a book-style design will not rewrite a market that devalues hinges faster than glass slabs. The rational play: treat this as a "launch-day console" purchase, accept the early-adopter tax upfront, and stop pretending a USD 2,000 (approx. RM9,200) foldable is a safe place to park your money.
