iPhone Ultra Could Cost $2,400 and I Have Some Thoughts

Key Takeaways

• Apple’s foldable “iPhone Ultra” is rumored to launch around September 8, 2026, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.
• Price estimates from analysts land between $2,000 and $2,400, which would make it the most expensive iPhone ever sold.
• I don’t think the specs justify the price yet, and I’ll tell you exactly why.

Jump to:

• The Price Tag
• What You’re Actually Getting
• Release Date
• Frequently Asked Questions

Apple is finally about to do the thing it’s been avoiding for a decade. A foldable iPhone. And based on everything leaking out right now, I’m less excited than I probably should be.

The rumors point to a launch around September 8, alongside the standard iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max lineup. That part’s not surprising, Apple loves a big fall event. What’s surprising is the price everyone keeps throwing around.

The Price Tag

We’re talking $2,000 to $2,400 depending on which analyst you believe. MacRumors has been tracking this closely, and the consensus among people like Ming-Chi Kuo and Mark Gurman keeps landing in that range. For context, that’s more than the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and more than the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, and both of those are already considered expensive.

I get that folding tech is hard to manufacture and the yields are lower than a flat glass slab. I get that Apple charges a premium for being first and being Apple. But $2,400 for a phone puts it in laptop territory, and I don’t think most people are ready to think about their phone that way.

What You’re Actually Getting

Here’s what’s supposedly inside. A 7.8 inch flexible main display when it’s unfolded, plus a 5.5 inch screen on the outside for when you don’t need the big view. It’s expected to run an A20 chip and swap Face ID for a Touch ID power button, which is a weird flex but I’ll allow it since there’s nowhere to hide a Face ID array on a folding screen.

Engadget’s roundup of the leaks lines up with what MacRumors has been reporting, and both point to a battery setup with two cells, roughly 1,921mAh and 2,962mAh, for a combined capacity just under 4,900mAh. Thickness is supposedly 4.5 to 4.8mm unfolded and around 9 to 9.5mm folded shut. Apple has reportedly told suppliers to prep for about 10 million units, up from an earlier forecast of 8 million, so they’re clearly expecting this to sell better than a niche experiment.

I’ll say this much. The specs are solid for a first-generation foldable. But solid isn’t the same as groundbreaking, and Samsung has had years to work out the kinks Apple is about to discover for the first time in public.

Release Date

The current word is that Apple shows it off alongside the iPhone 18 lineup in early September, but actual pre-orders and shipping could lag behind by weeks or even into November and December. That’s basically the same playbook Apple ran with the original iPhone X, announce it with the rest of the family, then let it trickle out once production catches up.

If you’re hoping to have one in your pocket the week it’s announced, temper your expectations. This is going to be a slow rollout, and probably an expensive lesson in patience.

And if $2,400 sounds insane to you, remember Apple isn’t the only company making people rethink prices right now. Fiat just brought a $14,000 EV to America, which is a good reminder that not every company is racing to charge you more for less.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the iPhone Ultra releasing?

Current rumors point to an announcement around September 8, 2026, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, though actual availability could be delayed into the following months.

How much will the iPhone Ultra cost?

Estimates from analysts range from $2,000 to as high as $2,400, which would make it Apple’s most expensive iPhone to date.

What are the iPhone Ultra’s specs?

Leaks point to a 7.8 inch flexible main display, a 5.5 inch exterior screen, an A20 chip, Touch ID instead of Face ID, and a combined battery capacity of roughly 4,900mAh.

Is Apple really making a foldable iPhone?

All signs point to yes. Apple has reportedly told suppliers to prepare production for around 10 million units, which suggests this is moving well past the prototype stage.