Apple’s upcoming September event appears poised to usher in a new product category for the company. According to Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman, newly appointed CEO John Ternus is scheduled to deliver his inaugural keynote on September 8 or 9. Alongside expected updates such as the Apple Watch Series 12, a refreshed Apple Watch Ultra, and the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, the presentation is widely anticipated to formally introduce Apple’s first foldable iPhone.
A Staggered Rollout Strategy
However, initial availability of the foldable device—potentially branded as the iPhone Ultra—may be pushed back by several weeks. TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo noted in a recent post on X that the launch pattern could mirror the release of the iPhone X nearly a decade ago. That device was announced alongside the iPhone 8 on September 12, 2017, but pre-orders did not open until October 27, and general availability followed on November 3. Kuo’s analysis suggests that mass production realities could push the first iPhone Fold shipments into the fourth quarter, with extremely constrained supply lasting for a considerable stretch thereafter. The limited inventory may attract resellers seeking to capitalize on scarcity, a dynamic not uncommon in past high-profile hardware launches.
Pricing, Supply, and Sales Projections
The estimated price point adds another layer of complexity. Kuo indicated the manufacturer’s suggested retail price could land between $2,300 and $2,500, an adjustment upward from earlier industry estimates. If demand materially outstrips supply through the end of the year, resellers could apply a markup of 50 to 100 percent, driving actual transaction costs significantly higher. Unlike the iPhone X cycle, which ultimately sold over 20 million units, Kuo projects that total sales for Apple’s foldable will reach approximately 7 to 8 million units in the second half of 2026. The more modest figures are attributed to the combination of an elevated price barrier and ongoing manufacturing complexities associated with foldable display technology.