Apple's long rumoured foldable iPhone Ultra is seemingly moving one step closer to reality. Prior reports have pointed toward the brand collaborating with Samsung to manufacture the foldable's display panels. However, a new report from tech publication Nikkei Asia suggests that Apple has instructed its supply chain partners to prepare components for roughly 10 million iPhone Ultra units.
Foldable iPhone Ultra Moves Closer to Mass Production
Widely rumoured to debut as the iPhone Ultra, Apple's first foldable iPhone is reportedly entering the next phase of production in full swing. The brand's key suppliers have been ordered to ramp up production of the parts to meet the demand, and this marks a notable increase from the previously forecasted 7 to 8 million units.
This ties in with the recent rumours that Apple's Foldable iPhone Ultra could enter mass production as early as July 2026. It also follows recent reports that Apple has greenlit Samsung to start making OLED displays for the Ultra.
Beyond the foldable, the latest report suggests that Apple expects to produce around 70 million units of the iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone 18 Pro Max. This will increase the total number of iPhone orders to over 85 million for the latter half of 2026.
Besides, Apple is also working on securing displays and other components of the standard iPhone 18. With the addition of iPhone 18, iPhone Air 2 and iPhone 18e, the total orders are expected to exceed 220 million units, while IDC predicts they could very well cross the 240 million mark.
As for the price of the iPhone Ultra, IDC analysts predict users will have to significantly empty their pockets. The foldable could command a premium price of $2,500 (approximately Rs 2,40,000), with the higher storage tier variant blitzing through the $3,000 mark (approximately Rs 2,86,000). This exorbitant pricing is pretty much due to the ongoing RAM crisis.
A recent 2026-2027 Apple iPhone launch roadmap tipped that the iPhone Ultra could launch with the iPhone 18 Pro models this September 2026. From the looks of things, that launch timeframe seems to be largely on track. Meanwhile, the iPhone 18, Air 2 and iPhone 18e could launch in Q1 2027.
