Apple’s Foldable iPhone Ultra Could Be the Most Exciting iPhone in Years, but the $2,000 Price Comes With Baggage
Apple’s next big iPhone may finally be the one that feels genuinely new: a book-style foldable widely expected this fall, although Apple still hasn’t announced the device or a launch date.
The bigger story isn’t just the hinge, because this rumored iPhone Ultra could turn one pocketable device into both a normal phone and an iPad-like workspace.
➜ The real story: Apple may be years late to foldables, but it has a very real shot at making the category feel mainstream instead of like premium tech for people who enjoy explaining their phone at dinner.
That timing matters because Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra is already on sale, while Apple would be entering a category that rivals have spent years thinning, strengthening and generally making less awkward.
It also fits with Spacelab’s iPhone 18 launch calendar, which increasingly looks built around Apple’s most expensive hardware first.
Hit the Spacelab Technology section for more tech coverage.
Apple Foldable iPhone Ultra Could Turn an iPhone Into a Pocket iPad
Current reports point to a roughly 5.5-inch outer screen and a 7.8-inch inner display, with iPad-like layouts and side-by-side apps designed to make the larger canvas useful instead of merely larger.
That’s the part that could make a foldable iPhone click: quick texts and calls when it’s closed, then video, games, documents and video meetings when it opens into something closer to a tiny tablet.
Apple is also expected to focus heavily on pocketability, hinge durability and a minimized crease, three areas that can decide whether a foldable feels futuristic or like a science project you’re scared to sit on.
Spacelab’s iPhone 18 release-date coverage also points to a split launch strategy, which would give the foldable more room to act like a halo product instead of just another model in the annual pile.
Apple iPhone Ultra Price, Camera and Touch ID Could Be the Real Test
$2,000-plus pricing is where the fun meets the credit-card statement, especially if the first-generation model really skips a telephoto camera and uses Touch ID instead of Face ID.
For buyers spending laptop money on a phone, missing Apple’s best zoom hardware could feel less like a quirky compromise and more like an obvious first-gen tax.
That tension gets even more interesting next to Spacelab’s look at rumored iPhone 18 Pro camera upgrades, because Apple may be asking shoppers to choose between the wild new form factor and the more complete camera system.
The upside is scale: foldables were only about 1.6 percent of global smartphone shipments in 2025, so Apple doesn’t need to dominate overnight to change how normal the category feels.
China could be especially important, where foldables already have far more traction and premium foldables from Huawei and others have trained shoppers to expect visible design ambition.
If Apple gets the hinge, software and daily usefulness right, the foldable iPhone won’t just be another expensive phone; it could be the product that makes Apple feel adventurous again.
FAQs
When Will Apple Launch the Foldable iPhone Ultra?
Apple hasn’t confirmed the product or date, but current reporting points to a September 2026 reveal, potentially around September 9.
How Much Could the Apple Foldable iPhone Ultra Cost?
Reports currently put the starting price above $2,000, which would make it the most expensive iPhone if it launches near those estimates.
Will the Foldable iPhone Use Face ID or Touch ID?
Current reports say Touch ID is expected instead of Face ID, but Apple hasn’t confirmed those details.
